Italo Balbo

Marshal Italo Balbo
Governor-General of Italian Libya
In office 1 January 1934 – 28 June 1940
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Rodolfo Graziani
Minister of Aeronautics
In office 12 September 1929 – 6 November 1933
Prime Minister	Benito Mussolini
Preceded by	Benito Mussolini
Succeeded by	Benito Mussolini
Quadrumvir in the Grand Council of Fascism
In office 12 January 1923 – 28 June 1940 Serving with Michele Bianchi (d. 1930), Emilio De Bono, Cesare Maria De Vecchi
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 24 May 1924 – 2 March 1939
Constituency	Emilia-Romagna
Personal details
Born	(1896-06-06)6 June 1896 Ferrara, Kingdom of Italy
Died	28 June 1940(1940-06-28) (aged 44) Tobruk, Italian Libya
Political party	Italian Fasces of Combat (1919–1921) National Fascist Party (1921–1940)
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Spouse	Emanuela Florio ​ (m. 1924)​
Children	3
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Branch/service	MVSN Regia Aeronautica
Years of service	1915–1940
Rank	Maresciallo dell'Aria (Marshal of the Air Force)
Battles/wars	World War I: Italian Campaign World War II: North African Campaign

Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Italian Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young age, he was sometimes seen as a possible successor to dictator Benito Mussolini.

After serving in World War I, Balbo became the leading Fascist party organizer in his home region of Ferrara. He was one of the Quadrumvirs the four principal architects (Quadrumviri del Fascismo) of the March on Rome that brought Mussolini and the Fascists to power in 1922, along with Michele Bianchi, Emilio De Bono and Cesare Maria De Vecchi. In 1926, he began the task of building the Italian Royal Air Force and took a leading role in popularizing aviation in Italy, and promoting Italian aviation to the world. In 1933, perhaps to relieve tensions surrounding him in Italy, he was given the government of Italian Libya, where he resided for the remainder of his life. Balbo, hostile to antisemitism,^[1] was among a minority of leading Fascists to oppose Mussolini's alliance with Nazi Germany.^[2] Early in World War II, he was accidentally killed by friendly fire when his plane was shot down over Tobruk by Italian anti-aircraft guns who misidentified it.^[3]