MVSN insignia
This is a list of senior officers of the Blackshirts (MVSN, "Voluntary Militia for National Security"), a paramilitary wing of the Italian National Fascist Party (PNF), between the years of 1923[lower-alpha 1] and 1943.
The supreme commander of the entire MVSN was Comandante generale, literally "Commandant-General", a titular position, while Capo di stato maggiore, literally "Chief of Staff", oversaw the day-to-day operations of the group.
Commandants−General[]
| Commandant-General of the MVSN | |
|---|---|
| Comandante generale della MVSN | |
 Rank insignia | |
 Command flag | |
| Blackshirts (MVSN) of Fascist Italy | |
| Status | Commanding officer of a paramilitary organization |
| Member of | Stato Maggiore della MVSN |
| Appointer | Benito Mussolini |
| Formation | 1 February 1923 |
| First holder |
Held simultaneously by: |
| Final holder | Renato Ricci |
| Abolished | 8 December 1943 |
| № | Commandant−General | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshal of Italy Emilio De Bono (1866–1944) One of the Quadrumvirs | 1 February 1923 | 31 October 1924 | 1 year, 273 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 1 | Marshal of the air force Italo Balbo (1896–1940) One of the Quadrumvirs | 1 February 1923 | 21 November 1924 | 1 year, 294 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 1 | Army corps general Cesare Maria De Vecchi (1884–1959) One of the Quadrumvirs | 1 February 1923 | 10 July 1925 | 2 years, 159 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 2 | General Asclepia Gandolfo (1864–1925) | 1 December 1924 | 31 August 1925 † | 273 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 3 | General Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga (1861–1938) | 12 September 1925 | 9 October 1926 | 1 year, 27 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 4 | First marshal of the empire Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) | 12 October 1926 | 25 July 1943 | 16 years, 286 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 5 | General Quirino Armellini (1889–1975) | 26 July 1943 | 8 September 1943 | 44 days | Independent | — | |
| 5 | Renato Ricci (1896–1956) | 20 September 1943 | 8 December 1943 | 79 days | Independent | — |
Chiefs of Staff[]
| Chief of Staff of the MVSN | |
|---|---|
| Capo di stato maggiore della MVSN | |
 Rank insignia | |
 Command flag | |
| Blackshirts (MVSN) of Fascist Italy | |
| Status | Chief of staff of a paramilitary organization |
| Member of | Stato Maggiore della MVSN |
| Appointer | Benito Mussolini |
| Formation | 1 February 1923 |
| First holder | Francesco Sacco |
| Final holder | Renzo Montagna (acting) |
| Abolished | 20 September 1943 |
| № | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lieutenant general Francesco Sacco (1877–1958) | 1 February 1923 | 1 December 1924 | 1 year, 304 days | Fascist Party | [1] | |
| 2 | Lieutenant general Enrico Bazan (1864–1947) | 1 December 1924 | 23 December 1928 | 4 years, 22 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 3 | Lieutenant general Attilio Teruzzi (1882–1950) | 1929 | 1935 | 5–6 years | Fascist Party | — | |
| 4 | Lieutenant general Luigi Russo (1882–1964) | 3 October 1935 | 3 November 1939 | 4 years, 31 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 5 | Achille Starace (1889–1945) | 3 November 1939 | 16 May 1941 | 1 year, 194 days | Fascist Party | — | |
| 6 | Lieutenant general Enzo Galbiati (1897–1982) | 25 May 1941 | 26 July 1943 | 2 years, 62 days | Fascist Party | [2] | |
| – | Consul general Renzo Montagna (Acting) (1894–1978) | 17 September 1943 | 20 September 1943 | 3 days | Independent | — |
See also[]
- List of Secretaries of Italian Fascist parties
Notes[]
- ↑ After approval by the Council of Ministers (Mussolini Cabinet) on 28 December 1922, the draft law on founding the MVSN was approved by a resolution of the Grand Council of Fascism on 12 January 1923. The draft became law under Royal Decree No. 31 of 14 January 1923, issued by the King Victor Emmanuel III. The activities of the MVSN began on 1 February 1923.
References[]
- ↑ "Francesco Sacco, Senatori dell'Italia fascista" (in Italian). http://notes9.senato.it/web/senregno.nsf/d973a7c868618f05c125711400382868/e3bd164b1e01df464125646f005f3ed5?OpenDocument. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ↑ Philip Rees, Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890, 1990, p. 144
The original article can be found at List of senior officers of the Blackshirts and the edit history here.