Tommaso Tittoni (; 16 November 1855 – 7 February 1931) was an Italian diplomat, politician and Knight of the Annunziata. He was Italy's

foreign minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

from 1903 until 1909, except for a five-month period. He also was interim

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

for about two weeks in March 1905,Tommaso Tittoni, Incarichi di governo
Parlamento italiano (Accessed May 8, 2016) making him the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of Italy.

Early life

Tommaso Tittoni was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. His father, Vincenzo, a tenant farmer on a large scale at La Manziana, had taken part in the defence of the Roman Republic under

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...

in 1849, was exiled by

Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, and re-entered Rome in 1870 through the breach of Porta Pia. Tittoni was educated first at

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

, and subsequently at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

. Tittoni became an alderman of Rome, before becoming a deputy in the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

for Civitavecchia in 1886, aligning himself with the right wing. He resigned his seat in 1897, having been appointed prefect of

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

. Three years later he went to Naples in a similar capacity, and in 1902 he entered the Senate.Tittoni Dies at 75; Italian Statesman
The New York Times, February 8, 1931Tittoni, Tommaso
Francesco Tommasini, Treccani Enciclopedia Italiana (1937)

Foreign minister and prime minister

When

Giovanni Giolitti Giovanni Giolitti (; 27 October 1842 – 17 July 1928) was an Italian statesman. He was the prime minister of Italy five times between 1892 and 1921. He is the longest-serving democratically elected prime minister in Italian history, and the sec ...

became premier for the second time in 1903, Tittoni became his

. He aimed at improving relations with

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, and also tried to bring about a reconciliation with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It was under his auspices that French President

Émile Loubet Émile François Loubet (; 30 December 183820 December 1929) was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906. Trained in law, he became Mayor (France), mayor of Montélimar, w ...

visited Rome. On the resignation of Giolitti in March 1905, Tittoni became interim premier for a few days and remained in Alessandro Fortis's cabinet as foreign minister. His proposal to reduce the duty on Spanish wines in connection with an Italo-Spanish commercial treaty aroused a storm of indignation among the agricultural classes and caused the fall of the cabinet on 24 December 1905, and although Fortis composed a new administration, Tittoni did not enter it.

Foreign policy

A few months later he was appointed ambassador in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(March 1906), but in May, on the fall of Sidney Sonnino's ministry and the return of Giolitti to power, he was again summoned to the Consulta (the Foreign Ministry). He continued the policy of improving relations with

, which did not contribute to his popularity. After the

Bosnian crisis The Bosnian Crisis, also known as the Annexation Crisis (, ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Aneksiona kriza, Анексиона криза) or the First Balkan Crisis, erupted on 5 October 1908 when Austria-Hungary announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzeg ...

and the annexation of

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north a ...

by Austria-Hungary, his imprudently worded speech at Carate created the illusion that Italy was to be compensated, perhaps by the cession of the

Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...

, and the disappointment when nothing of the kind materialized greatly weakened his prestige. He remained in office until the fall of Giolitti in December 1909. As foreign minister, Tittoni prudently advanced Italian claims on

Tripolitania Tripolitania (), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province of Libya. The region had been settled since antiquity, first coming to prominence as part of the Carthaginian empire. Following the defeat ...

, at the time part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, without resorting to outright threats of annexation.Childs, ''Italo-Turkish Diplomacy and the War Over Libya, 1911–1912''
pp. 8-9
/ref> The Tittoni family had interests in the area. In 1907, the Banco di Roma founded a branch in Tripoli and built significant interests in banking, shipping and agriculture. The bank's vice-president was Romolo Tittoni, the brother of Tommaso Tittoni. The bank also financed the important newspaper '' Corriere d'Italia'', which campaigned for the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish (, "Tripolitanian War", , "War of Libya"), also known as the Turco-Italian War, was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911 to 18 October 1912. As a result of this conflict, Italy captur ...

in 1911.Clark, ''Modern Italy: 1871 to the present''
pp. 184-85
/ref>Sarti, ''Italy: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present''
p. 136
/ref> On 24 October 1909, Tittoni and the Russian diplomat Aleksandr Izvolsky exchanged diplomatic notes on an informal agreement, known as the Racconigi Bargain, for Russia and Italy to support each other's interests in the Balkans and in the

, at the Italian city of Racconigi, Tsar

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

was hosted by King Victor Emmanuel III.Childs, ''Italo-Turkish Diplomacy and the War Over Libya, 1911–1912''
pp. 8-11
/ref> Italy and the Russian Empire concluded another agreement with

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

a few days later disregarding this agreement. In April 1910, he was appointed ambassador in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

.Tittóni, Tommaso
Treccani enciclopedie on line Retrieved 8 May 2016.

World War I and Paris Peace Conference

When

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out, in spite of his Triplicist policy (supporting the Triple Alliance, the ''Triplice'', of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) he openly expressed himself in favour of Italian neutrality, and on Italy's entry into the war he was careful not to compromise himself with Giolitti's attitude. But he was not at his ease in the French capital, and in November 1916 he resigned from the Paris embassy. On the fall of the Orlando Cabinet in June 1919, the new Premier, Francesco Saverio Nitti, chose Tittoni as foreign minister and first delegate at the Paris Peace Conference. Nitti and Tittoni played down Italy's territorial claims, which disappointed interventionist like Gabriele D'Annunzio.Clark, ''Modern Italy: 1871 to the present''
p. 245
/ref> In July 1919, Tittoni and the

Prime Minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet. The officeholder's of ...

, Eleftherios Venizelos, agreed on a secret non-binding agreement, known as the Venizelos–Tittoni agreement about the conflicting territorial claims of the two countries. Greece pledged to support the Italian claims over

Vlorë Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...

and the establishment of an Italian protectorate over Albania.Burgwyn, ''Italian foreign policy in the interwar period''
p. 15
/ref> Greece would also secure for Italy a free zone at the port of

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

(under Greek administration from May 1919), while Italy pledged to support the Greek territorial claims over Northern Epirus and transfer the

Dodecanese The Dodecanese (, ; , ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger and 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. This island group generally define ...

to Greece, except for the island of

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

, which would remain under Italian rule until such time as

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

would be ceded to Greece by Britain. The severe strain of the work told on his health forced Tittoni to resign in November 1919. He was chosen president of the

Italian Senate The Senate of the Republic (), or simply the Senate ( ), is the upper house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, the lower house being the Chamber of Deputies. The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform iden ...

in December 1919, and soon after was appointed Italian delegate on the Council and Assembly of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

, but ill-health again forced him to relinquish the latter two appointments. He remained president of the Senate until January 1929.

Support of Mussolini

After the

March on Rome The March on Rome () was an organized mass demonstration in October 1922 which resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party (, PNF) ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. In late October 1922, Fascist Party leaders planned a march ...

, Tittoni supported Mussolini's government and later became the first president of

Royal Academy of Italy The Royal Academy of Italy () was a short-lived Italian academy of the Italian Fascism, Fascist period. It was created on 7 January 1926 by royal decree,See reference . but was not inaugurated until 28 October 1929. It was effectively dissolved in ...

(28 October 1929 – 16 September 1930), the most important cultural institution of the fascist dictatorship.Sarti, ''Italy: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present''
p. 340
/ref> On 8 April 1923, he had received the supreme honour of the knighthood of the Annunziata by King Victor Emmanuel. He died from a heart attack in Rome on 7 February 1931.

References

* Burgwyn, H. James (1997),
Italian foreign policy in the interwar period: 1918 - 1940
', Westport: Praeger, * Childs, Timothy W. (1990).
Italo-Turkish Diplomacy and the War Over Libya, 1911–1912
', Leiden: E.J. Brill, * * Clark, Martin (2008).
Modern Italy: 1871 to the present
', Harlow: Pearson Education, * Sarti, Roland (2004).
Italy: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present
', New York: Facts on File Inc.,

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tittoni, Tommaso 1855 births 1931 deaths Politicians from Rome Historical Right politicians Members of the Grand Council of Fascism Ministers of the interior of Italy Prime ministers of Italy Ministers of foreign affairs of Italy Deputies of Legislature XVI of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XVII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XVIII of the Kingdom of Italy Deputies of Legislature XIX of the Kingdom of Italy Presidents of the Italian Senate Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Italy Ambassadors of Italy to the United Kingdom Ambassadors of Italy to France Members of the Royal Academy of Italy Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun