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A century ago, Violet Gibson nearly altered history when she stepped out from a crowd in Rome and shot at Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy. The bullet grazed Mussolini’s nose, but as she attempted to fire again, her gun malfunctioned. According to her great-niece Philippa Gibson, police intervened swiftly, likely saving Violet from Mussolini’s supporters who “probably would have killed her.” Following the incident, Violet was imprisoned in Italy before being deported to England, where she remained in a psychiatric institution in Northampton until her death in 1956.
Among the four known assassination attempts on Mussolini, Violet’s was the closest to succeeding. Philippa, speaking from Llangrannog in Ceredigion, mid Wales, described Violet as coming from a wealthy and politically influential family. Her father was Baron Ashbourne, an Anglo-Irish aristocrat who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the highest legal office at that time. Violet’s upbringing was typical for someone of her social standing, yet she rebelled by converting to Catholicism and embracing socialist ideals.
Philippa explained that while the family disapproved of Violet’s choices, they treated her with some leniency due to her mental health struggles as well as her intelligence. Violet moved to Italy, where she learned the language and engaged in charitable activities, consistent with the era’s tradition of the wealthy offering aid to the poor. However, she also endured severe mental illness, including a breakdown after the sudden loss of her fiancé, imprisonment following a knife attack, and a suicide attempt. Reflecting on Violet’s motivations for the assassination attempt, Philippa said, “I think she saw the fascism of Mussolini developing, and the incredible cruelty and violence.” The murder of the socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti by fascists further influenced her decision, combining political and religious convictions in what she regarded as an act of martyrdom for a vital cause.
On the day of the shooting, 7 April 1926, Mussolini had been in power for three years. Philippa recalled, “She was only 50 but she looked a lot older and no-one took any notice of a little old lady taking out a gun very, very close to him.” Mussolini’s head movement caused the bullet to only graze his nose. After the incident, both the British government and Violet’s family wrote to Mussolini, expressing gratitude and congratulating him on surviving while emphasizing Violet’s mental instability. Philippa noted that Mussolini himself highlighted this to downplay any political threat, presenting the attempt as the act of a mentally ill individual rather than a political adversary. This narrative fed into Mussolini’s cultivated image as “unbeatable” and divinely protected. Despite surviving multiple attempts on his life, Mussolini himself was executed by Italian partisans in 1945 while trying to escape the Allied forces.
Violet Gibson’s extraordinary life has been commemorated in various cultural works including songs, books, a play, a radio documentary, and a 2021 film titled *Violet Gibson: the Irish woman who shot Mussolini*. A plaque honoring her was unveiled in Dublin in 2022. Philippa expressed admiration for her great-aunt’s bravery but emphasized that she does not endorse political violence. “I certainly wouldn’t support any kind of political violence whatsoever, it’s not the answer,” she stated. “But I feel her deep-held beliefs are what led her to that. So, I admire her courage, her willingness to give herself for what she believed in, but I wouldn’t endorse any kind of political assassination attempts.
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