Aventine secession
Also called: Aventine boycott · Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Aventine secession was a protest in Italy in 1924. About 150 opposition deputies (elected members of Parliament) walked out of the Chamber of Deputies after Fascist thugs murdered the Socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti. They hoped King Victor Emmanuel III would dismiss Mussolini and call new elections. The King did nothing, public anger faded, and the boycott failed. It matters because Mussolini now faced no opposition inside Parliament, and this made his move to dictatorship easier.
Example
Matteotti disappeared on 10 June 1924, and soon after, deputies led by the liberal Giovanni Amendola left the Chamber in Rome. The name comes from the Aventine, a hill in Rome where the plebeians (the common people) of ancient Rome made their stand. When some of these deputies tried to return in 1926, Mussolini kept them out, and a Fascist motion sought to expel 102 of them.
Don't confuse with
- Victor Emmanuel II: he was proclaimed king of united Italy in 1861. The king who refused to act against Mussolini in 1924 was Victor Emmanuel III.
- Walkout in a working parliament: a short walkout is a protest for one sitting. The Aventine secession was a long boycott, and in the end the deputies who left were never allowed back.