Francesco Fausto Nitti (born 2 September 1899 in Pisa – died 28 May 1974, in Rome) was an Italian journalist and fighter against

fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

. His father Vincenzo (1871–1957) was evangelical preacher of the Italian Methodist Church. His mother was Paola Ciari (1870–1932).

Biography

When Francesco Fausto Nitti was seventeen, he fought in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In 1924, after the death of

Giacomo Matteotti Giacomo Matteotti (; 22 May 1885 – 10 June 1924) was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence ...

(a socialist deputy killed by will of Benito Mussolini), Nitti started an active anti-fascist propaganda, and as a result in December 1926 he was arrested and confined in

Lipari Lipari (; scn, Lìpari) is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy; it is also the name of the island's main town and ''comune'', which is administratively part of the Metropo ...

. Along with two other

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although n ...

s, Carlo Rosselli and

Emilio Lussu Emilio Lussu (4 December 1890 – 5 March 1975) was an Italian soldier, politician, anti-fascist and writer. Biography The soldier Lussu was born in Armungia, province of Cagliari (Sardinia) and graduated with a degree in law in 1914. Lussu ma ...

, he managed to escape in July 1929 and to take refuge in France, where they founded ''

Giustizia e Libertà Giustizia e Libertà (; en, Justice and Freedom) was an Italian anti-fascist resistance movement, active from 1929 to 1945.James D. Wilkinson (1981). ''The Intellectual Resistance Movement in Europe''. Harvard University Press. p. 224. The mov ...

'', a

resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...

opposing fascism. Nitti went to Spain in March 1937 and served the Republican faction as a major during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After the defeat of his side, he came back to France where was relegated in a

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

and later sent on the Nazi Ghost Train in order to be deported in Germany; Nitti (as well as one hundred of the seven hundred prisoners) fled when the train was near the German frontier, after removing some planks from the floor of his wagon. He returned to France and joined the '' maquis'', helping the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. After rejoining his family at Tolosa, in 1946 he eventually returned to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Taking a variety of roles in anti- fascist associations, he was director of the Anpi- based review “Independent Native land” and became a commune councilman in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Nitti died in Rome on May 28, 1974.

Sources

*Translation of Italian Wikipedia entry *Francesco Fausto Nitti, Escape: The personal narrative of a political prisoner who was rescued from Lipari, the fascist "Devil's Island". Putnam(1930) ASIN: B0006AKUZY *Francesco Fausto Nitti, Nitti F. F., Le nostre prigioni e la nostra evasione, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, Napoli, 1946. *Francesco Fausto Nitti, Neofascismo allo specchio, ANPPIA, Roma,1968. * Francesco Fausto Nitti, Chevaux 8 – Hommes 70, Éditions Chantal, Toulouse, 1944. The escape from the train deporting him to Germany. * Francesco Fausto Nitti, Il maggiore è un rosso, Edizioni Avanti! Milano - Roma, 1953. The taking part in Spanish Civil War. * Pietro Ramella, Francesco Fausto Nitti - L'uomo che beffò Hitler e Mussolini, Aracne editrice, Roma, 2007. Biography of F.F. Nitti. 1899 births 1974 deaths People from Pisa Italian male journalists Italian exiles Italian anti-fascists Members of Giustizia e Libertà Italian military personnel of World War I 20th-century Italian journalists 20th-century Italian male writers {{Italy-journalist-stub