This thread, over the next few days, will follow events surrounding the flight, capture and execution of Mussolini starting from 25th April 1945 (Photo: last known photo of Mussolini alive, evening of 25 April 1945 as he leaves Milan) >> 1

Around 4 p.m. on 25 April 1945, a meeting is organised between heads of the Fascist 'Repubblica Sociale Italiana" (RSI) & representatives of partisans of the Comitato Nazionale di Liberazione (CNL), with the Archbishop of Milan, Ildefonso Schuster (photo), as mediator >> 2

At this point German forces in Italy were negotiating their surrender to the Allies, who had never dealt directly with Mussolini & the RSI, so the CNL, from a strong position, demanded an unconditional surrender from the fascist government >> 3

Mussolini left the meeting saying he would reply within an hour. He never did. As he left the building, he passed by Sandro Pertini (photo in 1948) one of the partisan leaders, later to become President of Italy (1978-1985), who was late to the meeting >> 4

Pertini later said, "he was coming down the stairs, I was going up. He was emaciated, with an ashen face, shattered." Pertini remonstrated with the CLN delegation demanding to know why they hadn't arrested Mussolini on the spot >> 5

The truth was that the various factions within the CLN were divided on how to deal with Mussolini, whether to put him on trial by a "people's court" or hand him over to the Allies. Pertini's socialists and the communists favoured the former solution >> 6 (to be continued...)

After the meeting, Mussolini returned to the Prefecture, where he was staying & began to prepare his flight. It was clear that an insurrection was about to break out in Milan & he would fall into the hands of partisans before Allied troops arrived if he remained in the city >> 7

At this point he had three options:
1. Attempt to escape to Switzerland;
2. Attempt to escape to Germany;
3. Attempt to hold out in the Valtellina area (see map), where he would have a better chance of resisting partisan attacks until Allied troops arrived. >> 8

In any case, the first move was to leave Milan for Como. The latter city & road linking it to Milan were still controlled by the fascists. At about 8 p.m. a column of cars & trucks carrying about 100 fascist leaders & families left for Como >> 9

Mussolini was accompanied by SS Lieutenant Fritz Birzer (to Mussolini's right in the photo), who had been told by General Wolff to shadow Mussolini, protect him & stop him fleeing to a neutral country. His orders were: "get him to Germany alive or leave him dead in Italy." >> 10

During the night of 25/26 April large numbers of fascist troops (6-7,000) arrived in Como, ready to hold out with Mussolini. However, by the time another large contingent of 5,000 arrived from Milan on morning of 26th, Mussolini had already fled, leaving them to their fate >> 11

Mussolini abandoned Como at 4.40 a.m. on 26th April, heading for Menaggio, on the western bank of Lake Como (see map). Clearly, his intention was now to attempt an escape to Switzerland, although he told his German guard he wanted to head for Merano and then Germany >> 12

Birzer, in an interview many years later, revealed that, while in Como, he called the German Consulate in Milan and told them he was afraid Mussolini would try to escape to Switzerland and asked what should he do in this event. The answer was "kill him" >> 13

Birzer also recounted that Mussolini and his entourage had attempted to leave Como without telling him, a clear sign that the real intention of the Italian dictator was to get over the border into Switzerland. This became even more evident when the convoy reached Menaggio >> 14

On arrival at Menaggio, at around 6 a.m., instead of continuing northwards on the main road running alongside the lake, the convoy turned westwards into the Val Menaggio along a road that leads to the Swiss border, less than 20km away (see map) >> 15

The convoy stopped in town of Grandola (remember, the entourage numbered 100+) in the former Hotel Miravalle building. Here, around midday, Mussolini is joined by his lover, Clara Petacci, & he learns that the insurrection has begun in Milan & CLN has sentenced him to death >> 16

Around 3 p.m., two members of the RSI government, former Interior Minister Guido Buffarini Guidi (left) & Minister for Industry Angelo Tarchi (right), are sent with others, in 3 cars, further up the road towards the Swiss border >>17

Another member of Mussolini's German escort group, Otto Kisnat of the SD, recounted in an interview in 1968 that Mussolini told him he had sent the two men to try and negotiate passage into Switzerland with authorites at the border. They never reached it >> 18

7km further up the road, in the town of Porlezza, just 8km short of the Swiss border (see map), the cars were stopped and Buffarini Guidi & Tarchi were arrested, according to some accounts by partisans, to others by the Guardia di Finanza >> 19

One car managed to escape & return to Grandola. Mussolini now knew escape by this route was impossible. If 2 lesser known fascists in a small group with false documents couldn't get through, there was no hope for 100 people with instantly recognisable dictator among them >> 20

As an aside, Buffarini Guidi & Tarchi were later released. Both were re-arrested in following weeks but with different fates. Tarchi was jailed but pardoned in 1948. He then followed a career in the chemicals industry & was even elected city councillor in Milan in the 1960s >> 21

Buffarini Guidi was tried by an Assize Court in Milan & sentenced to death on 29 May 1945. He was executed by firing squad on 10 July 1945, one of only 2 death sentences carried out of the 36 passed by the court >> 22

Another possibility was to take a secondary road up to village of Buggiolo (see map) & then proceed on foot on mountain paths to the border, often used by smugglers. Partisans were active in this area, though not in large numbers, but it was impractical for a large group >> 23

At this point, having wasted an entire day, the only option was to return to Menaggio and head northwards along the road bordering Lake Como. By this time, however, partisan groups were on full alert and escape was becoming more & more improbable >> 24

The fugitives left Grandola in late evening, arriving in Menaggio around 11 p.m. Here, they were joined by Alessandro Pavolini (photo) Secretary of the Fascist Party. He had led 5,000 troops that reached Como from Milan on morning of 26th, only to find Mussolini had fled >> 25

Due to lack of leadership & Mussolini's evident desire to flee rather than fight, these troops dispersed & Pavolini was left with a handful of men & an armoured car (photo). The same night a column of 38 trucks with 200 well armed retreating German troops arrived in Menaggio>> 26

The column of German troops was heading for Merano in an attempt to reach Germany, so Lieutenant Birzer convinced Mussolini to join the column when it left next morning. This would be Mussolini's last night of freedom >> 27

Early on morning of 27th April 1945, the column of German troops with Mussolini and his entourage, over 1km long, set off from Menaggio, heading north. At 7.15 a.m. they were stopped just short of town of Musso at a checkpoint manned by partisans, having travelled just 12km >> 28

The checkpoint was manned by members of 52nd Garibaldi Brigade, under the command of Pier Luigi Bellini delle Stelle "Pedro" (photo). Garibaldi Brigades were mainly formed of communists, but also had socialist members. Partisan politics play a vital role in Mussolini's fate >> 29

After a short exchange of gunfire, without casualties, negotiations began between partisans & Germans. "Pedro" only had a few men in Musso but the Germans were unaware of this. He suspected leading fascists were hiding in the convoy but hadn't got enough men to search safely>> 30

Negotiations stretched on until the afternoon, as both sides felt in a weak position. While the column of trucks was stationary, Mussolini's guard, Brizer, convinced him that it would be better to disguise himself in the jacket & helmet of a German sergeant >> 31

Mussolini was not particularly keen on the idea but Clara Petacci pleaded with him to do so. He placed himself deep inside the truck, just behind the driver's cab in his jacket & helmet and covered himself with a blanket, pretending to be asleep as of drink >> 32