처형 후 거꾸로 매달린 무솔리니(左)와 클라라(右)의 시신. |
1. 무솔리니의 든든한 후원세력 교황청
한국 교회(개신교와 구교)가 김정일 독재 정권을 지원하고 있는 것처럼 2차 대전 당시 무솔리니의 가장 든든한 후원자는 카톨릭이었다.
당시 교황이었던 피우스 11세는 1922년 “무솔리니는 하나님의 뜻을 이룰 수 있는 지도자”라고 극찬까지 했었다. 그래서인지 무솔리니 선거에서 승리했다.
교황이 무솔리니의 손을 들어준 이유는 막대한 경제, 정치적 거래 때문이었다. 이들 사이에서 1929년 2월11일 교황이 다스리는 바티칸을 독립국가로 인정하는 라테란 조약이 맺어졌다.
이에 따라 바티칸 궁전과 라테란 궁전, 그리고 그 부속지 등을 소유하는 바티칸 市라는 독립국가가 탄생했다. 바티칸 市는 이탈리아에 대한 세금을 모두 면제 받았다.
게다가 옛 교황령과 재산을 포기하는 대가로 이탈리아로부터 보상금 7억5천만 리라와 연 5%의 이익이 보장된 이탈리아 공채를 받았다. 카톨릭의 나라에서 교황청의 후광을 입은 무솔리니의 파워는 막강했다.
2차 대전 당시 로마교황청의 행태를 보면 한국의 ‘정의구현사제단’이 떠오른다.
2. 지저분한 독재자 무솔리니
신성로마제국의 부활을 꿈꿨던 무솔리니는 엄청난 겁쟁이였다. 그는 아내를 무서워했던 공처가였고, 밤이면 혼자서 아무데도 못가는 겁쟁이였다. 무솔리니는 또 지저분하기로 유명했는데, 목욕하는 것과 속옷 갈아입는 것, 그리고 면도하는 것을 무척 싫어했다고 한다.
3. 히틀러와 손잡은 이유
무솔리니는 10대 때부터 여자는 성욕을 채우는 도구로 여겼다고 한다. 그래서 그는 하루에도 몇 번 씩 여러 명의 여자들과 성관계를 가졌다. (14명의 여성과 동시에 관계를 가졌던 적도 있다.) 그 덕분에 그는 매독에 걸렸다. 무솔리니는 자신이 매독에 걸린 것을 알고 자살까지 시도했었다. 야사(野史)에는 무솔리니가 히틀러와 손을 잡고 무모한 전쟁에 뛰어든 이유가 뇌 속에 매독 균이 침투해 올바른 상황 판단을 못했기 때문이라는 설이 있다.
4. 무솔리니의 지저분한 죽음
1945년 4월25일 反파쇼 의용군(이탈리아 빨치산)에게 체포된 후 무솔리니는 총살형을 선고받았지만 그의 정부(情婦)인 클라라는 총살당하지 않기로 되어 있었다. 그러나 그녀는 사랑하는(?) 무솔리니와 함께 죽겠다고 애원했다. 참고로 클라라는 성관계가 문란했던 무솔리니보다 29살이나 젊었다.
1945년 4월28일 총알이 무솔리니를 향해 발사되었을 때 클라라는 온몸을 던져 무솔리니를 감싸 안았다. 클라라가 죽고 난 뒤 무솔리니는 9발의 총을 맞고 사망했다. 두 사람의 시신은 이후 밀라노로 옮겨졌다. 사람들은 죽은 무솔리니의 얼굴에 오줌을 누었다. 한 여인은 자신의 살해당한 다섯 자녀의 복수를 위해 무솔리니의 시신에 총을 다섯 차례에 걸쳐 쐈다.
마침내, 두 사람의 훼손된 시체는 모두가 볼 수 있도록 거꾸로 매달렸다. 군중들은 수 시간에 걸쳐 비웃음을 던지고 무솔리니의 시체에 침을 뱉었다. 그 다음 날 무솔리니의 시신은 프레다포에 있는 가족묘에 묻혔다.
일각에서 김정일을 국제사법재판소에 보내야 한다는 사람들이 있다. 북한 동포 3백만을 굶겨 죽인 독재자에 대한 처리조차 우리 스스로 못하겠다니 안타까울 뿐이다. 김정일은 이대로 놔두면 앞으로 5년 이내에 자연사 할 것이다. 나는 그의 자연사를 바라지 않는다.
사람을 많이 죽인 독재자에 대해서는 무자비할 필요가 있다. 자유라는 나무는 때때로 애국자와 독재자의 피를 필요로 한다. 이는 자유의 근본 속성이자 거름이기도 하다.
한국인들은 평화를 너무나(?) 사랑한다. 마키아벨리는 평화는 자기 자신을 지키지 못하는 게 가장 큰 문제라고 했다. 한국인들이 선택한 평화는 앞으로 毒이 되어 돌아올 것이다.
김필재(金泌材)/spooner1@hanmail.net
[원문자료] Capture and Execution of Mussolini
Mussolini spent his last 7 days in power in Milan, which was the site of his rise to power. Then on April 20, 1945, he disbanded his government offices. On April 21, Bologna was captured by the Allied troops and the Fascist chief Arpinati was slain. Duce's staff and friends tried to persuade Duce to flee to Spain but he refused to leave his country.
Duce submitted a proposal to the Socialist part of the Liberation Committee, that was flatly refused. On April 24th, Cardinal Schuster made contact but nothing became of that as Duce became more apethetic to surrendering to his destiny. He told the Cardinal, 'I have no illusions'. A meeting was held with the Liberation Committee at the Archbishop's palace, where they informed him of the impending surrender of the German army in Italy. Mussolini's reaction was:
'They have always treated us like slaves, and now they betray us'.
On April 25th, they left Milan in a convoy headed for the lakes near Como with their desitnation as Valtelline. The column consisted of some cars and German armored cars, followed by Clara Petacci and her family. At Como, they discussed htier options over supper. Duce wrote the last letter to his wife, Rachele, urging here to flee to Switzerland.
He signed it:
'Your Benito, Como, 27th April, 1945 Year XIII of the Fascist Era'.
They left Como on 26th and stopped at Menaggio. A column of Fascists troops, lead by Pavolini, left Milan to join up with their leader. News reached them of the decree from Liberation Committee calling for the death peanilty for Fascists responsible for the 1922 'insurrection' and those guilty of crimes against the state since September 8, 1943.
On April 27th, Pavolini went on ahead of his troops and reached Mussolini. Accompanying him were Angela Curti, the former mistress of Mussolini. At the same time a German anti-aircraft unit, commanded by Lt. Fallmeyer, arrived in Menaggio headed for Tyrol. Duce decided once more to seek refuge with his German ally and head north--only to escape capture, not to leave Italy.
At 7am, they reached Masso, where the partisans had blocked the road. Lt. Fallmeyer went to negotiate with the partisan commander, Count Pierluigi Bellini delle Stelle ('Pedro') of the 52nd Garibaldi Brigade. The partisans agreed to allow the Germans to pass but not the Italians.
The Germans persuaded Mussolini to don a German greatcoat and helmet and hide out in the back of a truck. The German column left at 3:00 with Mussolini now all alone. It was stopped at Dongo and searched. Il Duce was easy to find, either because he still wore general's riding pants with a red stripe or information was leaked to the partisan band. Later, Clara Petacci and her brother, Marcello, were captured, but Clara's identity wasn't detected.
The partisan Liberation Committee was informed of the Duce's capture. Immediate orders were given for fair treatment of the prisoners with strict orders not to shoot them even if they attempted escape. By 1:30am on Saturday the 28th, Count Bellini tried to transport his captors back to the Como area. Duce was once wrapped in bandages to disguise him as a wounded partisan.
After hearing about the advance of the American 1st Armored Division and even reports of gun fire, they decided to return along their route to Mezzegra. There Mussolini and Clara spent their last night together in a local farmhouse.
The proceedings of the Liberation Committee is now hidden in secrecy. However, it is known that Togliatti, the secretary of the Communist Party and the Vice-Premier of Italy ordered the execution of Duce. Colonel Valerio was entrusted with this important mission in the name of the National Liberation Committee. When he arrived at Dongo at 2pm, there was some confrontation between the Communist leader and the partisan leader, Pedro. Colonel Valerio damanded to see the list of Fascist prisoners. He then revealed he had orders to execute Mussolini. He arbitrarily selected 15 names from the list for execution. (See The Fifteen, below.)
On April 28, Colonel Valerio broke into the room where Mussolini and Clara had been resting. Valerio told them he had come to rescue them. They hurried to the awaiting car. They drove about a mile away and stopped near gate to the Villa Belmonte. They were ordered to get out of the car and stand next to the stone wall. Machine guns were raised and both were shot. A guard was placed over their bodies, and Valerio drove back to Dongo, where he rounded up the remainder of the 15 prisoners selected for execution from the list. They were hurriedly brought out to the square and given 3 minutes for the ministrations of a priest. They were shot down by a partisan firing squad. Marcello Petacci was also shot while trying to escape by jumping into Lake Como. At first, the partisans mistakenly thought Marcello was Vittorio Mussolini, the son of Il Duce.
On April 29th, the bodies were brought to the Piazzale Loreto in Milan. There, six of the corpses were hung by their feet from a girder of an Esso gas station. These included: Benito Mussolini, Clara Petacci, Francesco Barracu, Alessandro Pavolini, Fernando Mezzasomma and Paolo Zerbino. To the pile of bodies lying beneath them was added Archille Starace, who had just been captured and summarily executed on the spot. The crowd vented their anger on the corpses. When they got out of hand, the police turned on water hoses to control the situation*. The Allies ordered the bodies removed for burial.
When Adolf Hitler heard how Mussolini was executed and put on public display, he vowed he would not let this happen to him. A few days later, Hitler shot his mistress and new wife, Eva Braunn, and then swallowing some poison, he shot himself in the mouth. Following Hitler's orders, their bodies were placed in a shell hole outside of his Berlin bunker and burned. The Russians found remains of his teeth.
* This incident is based on my Dad's eye witness account of what he saw when he arrived at Milan.
References: 'One Afternoon At Mezzegra: The Story of Mussolini's Death'- - by Peter Whittle, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1969. 'After the Battle', issue No. 7, article 'The Last Days of Mussolini', 1975.