Galeazzo Ciano
| Surname | Ciano |
| Given Name | Galeazzo |
| Born | 18 Mar 1903 |
| Died | 11 Jan 1944 |
| Country | Italy |
| Category | Government |
| Gender | Male |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseGian Galeazzo Ciano was born in Livorno, Italy, and later became Benito Mussolini's son-in-law. He received a law degree and worked for the Italian government as the Italian Consul in Shanghai, China. After Mussolini's rise to power, he became the Italian dictator's minister of press and propaganda, and later foreign affairs. He was also a friend of Humbert, son of the Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III, which left him in a position as the liaison between the royal family and the government. He did not like the Nazi government of Germany, and worked to prevent a close alliance between Rome and Berlin, but had failed. In Apr 1939, he was named the viceroy of Albania, and was considered a cruel occupier. In 1940, Hitler became suspicious of him, and as a result he was removed from Albania and instead sent to Vatican City as the ambassador. On 25 Jul 1943, at the meeting of the Fascist Grand Council, Ciano was one of those who voted to remove Mussolini from power, and that meeting eventually led to the fall of Mussolini's government and the Italian surrender on 3 Sep. However, when Mussolini fled to northern Italy and became a puppet ruler of a German-sponsored state there, Ciano followed him. He was arrested by the Germans in Oct 1943, and was tried for high treason for his vote against Mussolini at the Fascist Grand Council. He was sentenced to death by firing squad on 8 Jan 1944 and was executed three days later without interference from his father-in-law Mussolini.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: May 2006
Famous Quote(s)
- "Mussolini is quite humiliated because our troops have not moved a step forward. Even today they have not succeeded in advancing and have halted in front of the first French fortification which put up some resistance."
» Diary entry, 21 Jun 1940 - "Never has a military operation been undertaken so much against the will of the commanders."
» 1 Sep 1940
Galeazzo Ciano Interactive Map
Photographs
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Galeazzo Ciano Timeline
| 18 Mar 1903 | Galeazzo Ciano was born in Livorno, Toscana, Italy. |
| 2 Jan 1937 | Galeazzo Ciano secured British signatures on the Italo-British Gentlemen's Agreement in which both Italy and the United Kingdom stated respect for each other's spheres of influence. |
| 28 May 1939 | The Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano visited Berlin, Germany where he was given a great reception in his honour by Adolf Hitler. |
| 10 Aug 1939 | Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano departed Rome, Italy for Salzburg in southern Germany (occupied Austria) to meet with his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop. |
| 12 Aug 1939 | Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano met with German leader Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. During the meeting, upon hearing Hitler's hypothesis that Britain and France could not go into a war for Poland, Ciano expressed doubts and that it was his belief that Europe would be engulf in a general war should German and Poland become entangled in a war. As he realized Hitler was set on going to war with Poland, Ciano expressed Italian unpreparedness for conflict. Ribbentrop responded by saying Germany did not need Italy's military assistance. Ciano, skeptical, noted that time would tell whether that was true. |
| 1 Oct 1939 | Galeazzo Ciano met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany. |
| 15 Jun 1941 | Galeazzo Ciano sent a message to his Hungarian counterpart, advising that Hungary should prepare to deal with a potential Soviet attack, which might be forthcoming due to suspected German aggression against the Soviet Union. |
| 22 Jul 1941 | Italian Count Galeazzo Ciano noted in his diary that Benito Mussolini had staged a mock air raid over Rome, Italy on this date, with anti-aircraft positions firing. The purpose of this production was to give the citizens the impression that a serious war was going on. |
| 8 Dec 1941 | Galeazzo Ciano called Joachim von Ribbentrop to discuss the American entry into the war; Ciano later noted that Ribbentrop was happy with this latest development. |
| 18 Dec 1942 | Galeazzo Ciano arrived at Adolf Hitler's Wolfschanze headquarters in East Prussia, Germany. |
| 23 Dec 1943 | Galeazzo Ciano made his final diary entry at the prison at Verona, Italy. |
| 8 Jan 1944 | In Castel Vecchio in Italy, the trial began for Count Ciano and 18 other Fascists Mussolini held responsible for his downfall. |
| 10 Jan 1944 | Count Ciano and 17 of the other Fascist ministers were found guilty and sentenced to death. |
| 11 Jan 1944 | The death sentence was carried out on Count Ciano and 17 others. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
21 Nov 2019 05:41:31 PM
In the narrative above is the sentence After Mussolini's rose to power, he became the Italian dictator's minister of press and propaganda, and later foreign affairs. It should start After Mussolini's rise to poer, not rose to power
C. Peter Chen says:24 Nov 2019 07:03:53 AM
Thank you Vincent, the typographical error has been corrected.
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943
31 Dec 2017 02:53:01 AM
i don't have comment but some questions of that for what reason Ciano followed Mussolini to north? Why was Count before his name?