Description:

Benito Mussolini & Victor Emmanuel III 1938 DS

DS, 2pp (front and back), untranslated in Italian, measuring 9.75" x 14.5", ca. July 1938, Rome, Italy. A military document signed on verso by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as "Vittorio Emanuele", and countersigned below by Prime Minister and Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini as "Mussolini" at lower right. Both have been boldly penned, with Victor Emmanuel's signature measuring nearly 6.5" in length. Stamped and numbered in top left of recto "25 Lug. 1938/ Anno XVI", with an additional stamp from the Court of Accounts upon receipt on July 29th. The document, written on watermarked cream paper, exhibits varying degrees of darkened edge toning, darkened handling marks, and slight creasing at corners. Else, near fine.

Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947), whose reign encompassed the birth, rise, and fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, held the throne from 1900 until his abdication in 1946 in favor of his son, Umberto II, the last King of Italy. The Fascist Party's March on Rome in 1922, which forced the current Prime Minister Luigi Facta out of office, resulted in Mussolini's ascendence to the position. In the years that followed, Victor Emmanuel remained largely silent on the domestic and political abuses of the Fascist regime, accepting the additional titles of Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936 and King of Albania in 1939 as a result of Mussolini's imperialism. By 1940, despite the King's apprehension to enter World War II, he ultimately gave Mussolini control to engage and conduct the war effort. It was not until the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 that Victor Emmanuel deposed the dictator and signed an armistice, eventually declaring war on Germany himself.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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