Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947) was king of Italy from 1900 to 1946. He became unpopular because of his cooperation with fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
Victor Emmanuel III was born on Nov. 11, 1869, in Naples. He became king after the assassination of his father, King Humbert I. In 1922, Victor Emmanuel refused to proclaim martial law to stop Mussolini’s march on Rome. Under pressure from Mussolini’s supporters, the king made Mussolini prime minister and in 1925 allowed Italy to become a dictatorship. He approved all of Mussolini’s laws, including those that discriminated against Jews.
Italy entered World War II in 1940 on the side of Nazi Germany. In 1943, members of the Italian government overthrew Mussolini and restored Victor Emmanuel’s authority. In 1946, Victor Emmanuel abdicated in favor of his son, Prince Humbert. But later that year, the Italian people voted to abolish the monarchy. Victor Emmanuel died on Dec. 28, 1947.
See also Fascism ; Italy (History) ; Mussolini, Benito .
