Indro Montanelli

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Indro Montanelli (1992)

Indro Montanelli (born April 22, 1909 in Fucecchio , Tuscany , † July 22, 2001 in Milan ) was an Italian journalist, writer and historian. His numerous articles and publications made him one of the most famous and influential personalities of the 20th century in Italy.

biography

After graduating from the Rieti Lyceum , Montanelli studied law in Florence . His thesis, which dealt with the fascist electoral law reform of 1923 and found that it had essentially been about the abolition of free elections, was awarded the highest possible rating. He then attended a few courses in political and social sciences in Grenoble . He made his public appearance for the first time with his articles for the magazine Il Selvaggio by Mino Maccari , which appeared every fortnight with a circulation of 500 and whose authors, including fascists, were the first to oppose the conformism demanded by the regime. In 1932 he worked with the fascist youth magazine L'Universale by Berto Ricci with a circulation of 500,000 copies.

In 1934 Montanelli began working in Paris as a journalist for the crime and accident reports for Paris-Soir . Soon he was sent to Norway as a correspondent , then to Canada and the USA , where he became an employee of United Press International . During this time he interviewed Henry Ford ; the result was an original portrait of the industrialist. Montanelli proposed himself as rapporteur for Ethiopia , but the news agency rejected this request.

Then, seized by the fascist idea, he volunteered to Africa to command a battalion from Askari in the Abyssinian War . In 1935 he bought a rifle, a horse and a 12-year-old girl there for 350 lire, whom he later called a “docile little animal” and, according to his memories, was called Destà ; he entered into a kind of temporary marriage with her, used her as a housemaid and shared his bed with her. In an interview in 2000, Montanelli explained the inconvenience this relationship caused him: The girl had a strong smell of goats, her infibulation had initially stopped his sexual urge and, after her mother had removed this obstacle by force, Destà nevertheless acted as a "Insensitive" proved.

His doubts about the regime began in Abyssinia, caused by the incompetence and poor organization of the army, which threw honors and medals around for it.

Hardly back in Italy, he went to Spain as a correspondent for the newspaper Il Messaggero to report on the civil war there. Here his views on fascism became radicalized. After describing the battle of Santander not as an honorable offensive by the armed forces but as a walk in which the only enemy was the heat, he was suspended as a journalist, sent back to Italy and excluded from the Partito Nazionale Fascista . His sympathy for the Spanish Republicans prompted Montanelli to help a fighter across the border. As a token of gratitude, a communist division commander gave him his party's membership as a gift.

Because of Montanelli's anti-fascist position, there were soon arguments. To prevent worse things from happening, Giuseppe Bottai got him a job as an Italian lecturer at the University of Tartu . He then became director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Tallinn . Back in Italy, he received support from the Corriere della Sera , who let him write articles on travel and literature in order to keep him away from political issues if possible.

Montanelli traveled as a reporter to Albania and Germany , where there was supposed to be a meeting with Hitler . After the start of the World War , he accompanied the German troops on the attack on Poland , where he developed the political myth of a heroic attack by Polish cavalry against German tanks from the battle near Krojanty . He was also there during the occupation of Norway. He also reported on the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union and the winter war from Finland . After Italy entered the war, he was posted to France and the Balkans . He then became a correspondent in Greece , which was soon attacked by Italian troops.

After returning to Italy, Montanelli married the Austrian Maggie De Colins De Tarsienne in 1942. After the fall of Mussolini in 1943, he joined the anti-fascist movement Giustizia e Libertà , an important member of the Italian resistance . Soon after, he was arrested by German troops and sentenced to death. His experiences in captivity later led him to write the short story Il generale della Rovere , which was later filmed by Roberto Rossellini ( awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival ). Thanks to the intervention of the Archbishop of Milan Ildefonso Schuster , he was pardoned and released from prison.

After the end of the war he began to take care of articles for the Corriere della Sera for page 3, and in 1957 he published Storia di Roma, the first volume of his series on the history of Italy . His historical books soon became very popular and the first volume is still the most successful historical publication in Italy with over 500,000 copies sold.

His work as a reporter brought him to Budapest in 1956 , where he witnessed the Hungarian uprising . The Soviet repression inspired him to write the play I sogni muoiono all'alba , which was also made into a film under his direction in 1960.

Montanelli's friends these days included some of the most important Italian cultural workers of the post-war period, such as Leo Longanesi and Dino Buzzati . As a declared anti-communist and (according to self-definition) anarcho-conservative, he became a declared enemy of the then powerful Italian left in the 1970s and 1980s, who saw in him a fascist. Montanelli, on the other hand, saw in the left an impending threat, fed with Soviet money, to Italian democracy.

When Piero Ottone took over the management of Corriere , Montanelli ended his long-term collaboration with the newspaper in a polemical manner in 1973. He then started his own newspaper, which he called Il Giornale Nuovo , later simply Il Giornale . He was followed by many of his journalist colleagues, who also disliked the new political, somewhat more radical orientation of the Corriere.

The Giornale was the perfect forum for Montanelli to bring his own, unconformist and always original opinions closer to a broad audience. As a contact person far from politics, committed only to his own principles and as an advocate of an "ideal right", he interfered in political debates and contributed to the creation of the figure of the political columnist of journalistic origin. In view of the upswing of the Partito Comunista Italiano , which he regarded as a danger , he somewhat reluctantly asked the voters to vote for the Democrazia Cristiana .

In 1977 Montaneli was the victim of an attack by the Brigate Rosse on his way to work , in which the assassins shot him in the legs. The terrorists gave the reason that he was a "slave of the multinational corporations".

Although the Giornale had developed a loyal reading public over the years, the newspaper ran into financial difficulties and so Montanelli accepted a financing offer from Silvio Berlusconi in 1977 , who thus became editor. This union lasted until 1993, when Berlusconi's entry into politics provoked the first disputes. He then left the newspaper he founded, which subsequently radically changed its political line under Vittorio Feltri . After turning down an offer from Paolo Mieli and Giovanni Agnelli to take over the Corriere, he founded the newspaper La Voce with 40 journalists who had also resigned (the name pays homage to Giuseppe Prezzolini , who founded a magazine of the same name in 1908).

The new daily newspaper was not successful, however, despite an initial print run of 40,000 copies, La Voce was unable to establish itself on the newspaper market. According to Montanelli's own statements, the project was too ambitious: Originally, he had envisaged a weekly or monthly magazine (which is why page 3 and the cultural department were also looked after intensively), which prompted the large number of journalists available to him, including Beppe Severgnini however, he decided to start a daily newspaper. After the end of the Voce , Montanelli worked again for the Corriere and was responsible for the Stanza di Montanelli page , on which he discussed with readers.

In addition to numerous honors in his home country, he also achieved great international recognition (for example, he received the Prince of Asturias Prize in 1996 ). He was a respected chronicler of Italian history and interviewed personalities such as Winston Churchill , Charles de Gaulle , Luigi Einaudi and Pope John XXIII. His journalistic methods were influenced by his working hours in America, where an editor-in-chief had once advised him that a good article should be read and understood by everyone, including an “Ohio milkman”.

In 1991 President Francesco Cossiga offered him the opportunity to become a senator for life. Montanelli declined, however, pointing out that as an independent journalist he wanted to keep as far as possible from power.

In his last years Montanelli became a bitter opponent of the chairman of the Forza Italia party and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi , whom he considered anti-democratic and mendacious and whose party in his eyes, contrary to what is usually portrayed, does not represent the values ​​of the classical right. He urged the Italians to be vigilant and reminded them not to fall for a "man of providence" who wanted to solve all problems again and mentioned that he had met such a man before, Benito Mussolini , and that he had met him this one was enough. Shortly before the 2001 elections, from which Berlusconi was to emerge victorious, he compared the Milanese entrepreneur with an illness from which Italy would only be cured after his term in office was over.

Montanelli died two months later in the La Madonnina clinic in Milan . The next day, Corriere della Sera printed the obituary he had written himself on its cover, in which the journalist said goodbye to his readers and thanked them for their attention and loyalty.

As part of global protests following the death of George Floyd , his statue in Milan was smeared in June 2020.

Works

Autobiographical

  • Guerra e pace in Africa Orientale . Vallecchi, Florence 1937 (memoir)
  • Incontri . Longanesi, Milan 1950ff
  1. Pantheon Minore . 1950.
  2. Tali e quali . 1951.
  3. I rapaci in cortile . 1952.
  4. Busti al pincioi .
  5. Facce di bronzo .
  6. Bella figure .
  • Lettere a Longanesi . Longanesi, Milan 1955.
  • Tagli su misura . Rizzoli, Milan 1960.
  • Caro direttore . Rizzoli, Milan 1991.
  • Paolo Di Paolo ( arr. ): Nella mia lunga e tormentata esistenza. Lettere da una vita . Rizzoli, Milan 2012.
  • Caro lettore . Rizzoli, Milan 1998.
  • Eugenio Melani (arr.): La stecca nel coro 1974–1994. Una battaglia contro il mio tempo . Rizzoli, Milan 2000.

Fiction

  • XX Battaglione eritreo . Panorama, Milan 1936.
  • Ambesà . Garzanti, Milan 1939.
  • Giorno di festa . Mondadori, Milan 1939.
  • Gente qualunque . Bompiani, Milan 1942.
  • I libelli Rizzoli, Milan 1993, ISBN 88-17-11586-X .
  • Gli incontri . Rizzoli, Milan 1961.
  • Eva Timbaldi Abruzzese (Ed.): Giorno di festa e altri racconti . Rizzoli, Milan 1963.
  • Incontri italiani . Rizzoli, Milan 1976.
  • Montanelli narratore . Rizzoli, Milan 1988.
  • Le nuove punch . Rizzoli, Milan 2001.
  • Una voce poco fa . Il mulino, Bologna 1995.
  • Le punch. Dialoghi con gli italiani . Rizzoli, Milan 1998.
  • Professione verità . Laterza, Bari 1986.

Non-fiction

  • Commiato dal tempo di pace . Il selvaggio, Roma 1935.
  • Primo tempo . Panorama, Milan 1936.
  • Albania una e mille . Paravia, Turin 1939.
  • Vecchia e nuova Albania . Garzanti, Milan 1939.
  • Cronache di guerra . Ed. Nuova, Milan 1978 (EA Milan 1940)
  • Guerra nel fiordo . Mondadori, Milan 1942.
  • Morire in piedi . Longanesi, Milan 1949.
  • Padri della patria . Mondadori, Milan 1949.
  • Heart . Vita . Rizzoli, Milan 1961.
  • Andata e ritorno . Vallecchi, Florence 1955.
  • Storia di Roma . Longanesi, Milan 1959.
    • German: These Romans. Ancient stories . Dtv, Munich 2006, ISBN 3-423-09456-7 (German-Italian)
  • Storia dei Greci . Rizzoli, Milan 1960.
  • Report on Israel . Editrice Derby, Milan 1960.
  • with Marco Nozza : Garibaldi . Rizzoli, Milan 1962.
  • Dante e il suo secolo . Rizzoli, Milan 1983, ISBN 88-17-42000-X (EA Milan 1963).
  • with Roberto Gervaso : Storia d'Italia . Rizzoli, Milan
    • L'Italia dei Comuni . 1965.
    • L'Italia dei secoli bui . 1965.
    • L'Italia dei secoli d'oro . 1967.
    • L'Italia della Controriforma . 1968.
    • L'Italia del Seicento . 1969.
    • L'Italia del Settecento . 1970.
    • La fine del Medioevo . 1975.
  • Per Venezia . Sodalizio del libro, Venice 1970.
  • Rumor visto da Montanelli . N. Pozza, Vicenza 1970.
  • L'Italia giacobina e carbonara . Rizzoli, Milan 1971.
  • L'Italia del Risorgimento . Rizzoli, Milan 1972.
  • L'Italia dei notabili . Rizzoli, Milan 1973.
  • L'Italia di Giolitti . Rizzoli, Milan 1974.
  • L'Italia in camicia nera . Rizzoli, Milan 1976.
  • I protagonisti , Milano, Rizzoli, 1976.
  • Marcello Staglieno (Ed.): Controcorrente . Europea di Edizioni, Milan 1979/80.
  1. 1979.
  2. 1980.
  3. 1974-1986 . 1987.
  4. Il meglio di controccorente. 1974-1992 . 1995.
  • with Mario Cervi : L'Italia . Rizzoli, Milan
    • L'Italia littoria . 1979.
    • L'Italia dell'Asse . 1980.
    • L'Italia della Repubblica . 1985.
    • L'Italia della disfatta . 1982.
    • L'Italia del miracolo . 1987.
    • L'Italia dei due Giovanni . 1989.
    • Milano Ventesimo Secolo . 1990.
    • L'Italia degli anni di piombo . 1991.
    • L'Italia degli anni di fango . 1993.
    • L'Italia di Berlusconi . 1994.
    • L'Italia dell'Ulivo . 1997.
    • L'Italia del Novecento . 1998.
    • L'Italia del millennio. Sommario di dieci secoli di storia . 2000.
  • Manlio Cancogni, Piero Malvolti (eds.): Il testimone . Longanesi, Milan 1992.
  • Cronache di storia . Editoriale Nuova, Milan 1979.
  • with Marcello Staglieno and Renato Besana: L'Archivista. Tra cronaca e storia . SEE, Milan 1980.
  • with Marcello Staglieno: Leo Longanesi . Rizzoli, Milan 1984.
  • with Paolo Granzotto: Sommario di Storia d'Italia dall'Unità ai giorni nostri . Rizzoli, Milan 1986.
  • with Beniamino Placido: Eppur si muove. Cambiano gli italiani? Fabbri, Milan 1995.
  • L'impero . Sansoni, Florence 1995.
  • Figure & Figuri del Risorgimento . Editoriale Viscontea, Pavia 1987 (afterword by Marcello Staglieno).
  • Ritratti . Rizzoli, Milan 1988.
  • Firenze . Mondadori, Milan 1991.
  • Dentro la storia . Rizzoli, Milan 1992.
  • Istantanee. Figure e figuri della Prima Repubblica . Rizzoli, Milan 1994.
  • Maurizio Viroli (eds.), Vittorio Foa, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Indro Montanelli, Leopoldo Pirelli (collaborators): Colloquio sul Novecento. 31 gennaio 2001, Sala della Lupa di Palazzo Montecitorio . Camera dei Deputati, Rome 2001.

theatre

  • Il generale della Rovere . Rizzoli, Milan 1959.
    • German: The role of his life. 2 acts . Bloch, Berlin 1967.
    • Screenplay: Il generale . Rome 1959.
  • Theater . Rizzoli, Milan 1962.

literature

Web links

Commons : Indro Montanelli  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Indro Montanelli's plinth begins to totter. In: FAZ.net . June 18, 2020, accessed June 18, 2020 .
  2. ^ Andrea Lavazza: Monumento contestato. Montanelli "predatore", "via quella statua". Chi ha ragione? Avvenire , June 11, 2020, accessed June 18, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Mariangela Mianiti: La sposa bambina che "puzzava di Capra". Il Manifesto , March 12, 2019, accessed June 18, 2020 .
  4. ^ Roberto Poppi: Dizionario del cinema italiano. I registers. Gremese Editore, Rome 2002, p. 295.
  5. ↑ "Racist and rapist": statue of Indro Montanelli smeared. In: Südtirol News. June 15, 2020, accessed June 15, 2020 .
  6. ↑ Contents: Giorno di festa. - Qui non riposano.
  7. ↑ Content: Mi marito Karl Marx. - Il buonuomo Mussolini. - Addio, Wanda !.
  8. ↑ Contents: Giorno di festa. - L'opera all'arena. - Il monte di contechristo. - "Bird watchers". - Fratelli d'America. - Toscani di sinistra. - Il rodone.
  9. ↑ Contents: La lezione polacca. - I cento giorni della Finlandia. - Addio, Wanda.
  10. ↑ former title: Vita sbagliata di un fuoruscito. A. Hearts, 1811-1871 .
  11. ↑ Essays that first appeared in Il giornale nuovo .
  12. ^ Filmed under the direction of Roberto Rosselini : Generale della Rovere .
  13. ↑ Contents: Viva la dinamite. - I sogni muoionoall'alba. - kibbutz. - Resisté. - Cesare e Silla.
personal data
SURNAME Montanelli, Indro
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian journalist, writer and historian
DATE OF BIRTH April 22, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH Fucecchio
DATE OF DEATH July 22, 2001
Place of death Milan