Ciano, Count Galeazzo

Born Mar. 18, 1903, in Livorno (Leghorn); died Jan. 11, 1944, in Verona. State and political figure in fascist Italy, diplomat. Son-in-law of the fascist dictator B. Mussolini.

Ciano entered diplomatic service in 1925, and from 1936 to 1943 he was foreign minister. During World War II—as a result of the disastrous military situation for Italy and the onset of crisis for the fascist regime—Ciano in late 1942 joined the faction of the Italian ruling circle that favored a separate peace treaty. In February 1943, Ciano was removed from his ministerial post. He joined a conspiracy against Mussolini, and on July 25, 1943, he voted in the Grand Council of Fascism to remove Mussolini from power. After the occupation of Italy by fascist German troops (September 1943), Ciano was interned in Germany and handed over to the fascist authorities of the puppet Italian Socialist Republic that had been formed in northern Italy. Ciano was sentenced by a fascist military tribunal and executed by firing squad.