27 Facts About Palmiro Togliatti

Palmiro Michele Nicola Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of Italy's Communist party from 1927 until his death.

From 1944 to 1945 Palmiro Togliatti held the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, and from 1945 to 1946 he was appointed Italian Minister of Justice in the governments that ruled Italy after the fall of Fascism.

Palmiro Togliatti was a member of the Constituent Assembly of Italy.

Palmiro Togliatti survived an assassination attempt in 1948, and died in 1964, during a holiday in Crimea on the Black Sea.

Palmiro Togliatti was born in Genoa into a middle-class family.

Palmiro Togliatti's father Antonio was an accountant in the Public Administration, while his mother Teresa Vitale was a teacher.

Palmiro Togliatti was named "Palmiro" because he was born on Palm Sunday; Togliatti's parents were observant Roman Catholics.

Palmiro Togliatti had one sister, Maria Cristina, and two brothers, Enrico and Eugenio Giuseppe.

In 1908, Palmiro Togliatti studied at the "Azuni" classics high school in Sassari, where he was recognised as the best student in the school.

In 1914, Palmiro Togliatti began his political life in the Italian Socialist Party prior to the First World War.

Palmiro Togliatti served as a volunteer army officer during the war, and was wounded in action and sent home to recuperate.

Palmiro Togliatti believed that existing factory councils of workers could be strengthened so that they could become the basis of a communist coup.

Palmiro Togliatti was a member of the Communist Faction of the PSI, which was part of the Communist International, commonly known as the Comintern.

Palmiro Togliatti selected the Fascists and appointed Mussolini new Prime Minister.

Palmiro Togliatti wrote that "fascism gained power by dispersing the proletarians aggregates, preventing their unification on any terrain and cause a unification around it in favor of the bourgeois political groups".

Palmiro Togliatti was one of few leaders not to be arrested, as he was attending a meeting of the Comintern in Moscow.

In 1927, Palmiro Togliatti was elected General Secretary in place of Gramsci.

In 1944 Palmiro Togliatti returned from Moscow to Italy, and led his PCI and other political forces to the so-called Svolta di Salerno, the "Salerno Turn".

Palmiro Togliatti founded a political journal, Rinascita, following his return to Italy in 1944 which he edited until his death.

Palmiro Togliatti served from December 1944 as Deputy Prime Minister and then from June 1945 as Justice Minister.

In 1948, Palmiro Togliatti led the PCI in the first democratic election after World War II.

Palmiro Togliatti lost to the Christian Democrat party after a highly confrontational campaign in which the United States, viewing him as a Cold War enemy, played a large part.

On 14 July 1948, Palmiro Togliatti was shot three times, being severely wounded by Antonio Pallante, a fascist student; his life hung in the balance for days and news about his condition was uncertain, causing an acute political crisis in Italy.

Palmiro Togliatti developed and named the polycentrism theory.

The new policy proposed by Palmiro Togliatti was opposed to any revolutionary means of gaining power and aimed at accompanying institutional action with the extension of social and trade union struggles.

Palmiro Togliatti died as a result of cerebral haemorrhage while vacationing with his companion Nilde Iotti in Yalta, then in the Soviet Union.

The Russian city of Stavropol-on-Volga, where Palmiro Togliatti had been instrumental in establishing the AutoVAZ automobile manufacturing plant in collaboration with Fiat, was renamed Tolyatti in his honor in 1964, after his death.