An Empire Reborn

Part 33

By

Vincent Longobardi

April 20^th 1981

Franco Freda is dispatched to Pakistan.

April 28^th 1981

Security forces under the command of Colonel Medici foil a plot by Greek nationalists to assassinate Emperor Umberto II on the way to his summer residence in Constantinople. The 5 conspirators are handed over to the Special Court to be dealt with.

May 3^rd 1981

The Lira Block holds their own commission on war crimes in Rhodesia focusing that on the violations of the rebels who routinely torture and kill both white and black Rhodesians as well as practice necklacing as a form of execution.

May 11^th 1981

Victor Emmanuel IV meets with Consul Medici to discuss the inheritance of the throne as his father ages. The heir-apparent is fearful that his cousin the Duke of Aosta will attempt to claim the throne and wants the reassurance of the Consul that he and the Grand Council will support him.

Medici agrees to support Victor Emmanuel as they have always been good and close friends to the Consul. Privately and more importantly Medici wants the playboy, apolitical, partier on the throne. He would be able to consolidate more power himself without an active Emperor like Umberto or the Duke.

May 13^th 1981

Assassins strike at Pope John Paul II gravely wounding him! Mehmet Ali Agca is the primary assassin firing 4 rounds into the Pope before being taken down. Fellow conspirator Stoyan Petkov is tackled by bystanders when he attempted to throw a grenade into the crowd.

Thirty minutes after the attack OVRA officials arrive at the Rome police station where the would be assassins are held and take custody of them and control of the investigation. The Roman Police Chief files a complaint with the government that his department should maintain jurisdiction since the crime wasn’t political or against the state. He quickly withdraws his complaint after being informed that Minister Gritti himself signed the orders for the prisoners to be taken by the OVRA.

May 15^th 1981

Under interrogation both plotters admit to their part in the attack against the Pope and give up their fellow conspirators sparking an Empire wide manhunt.

Agca, a Turk claims to have been hired by Soviet agents to plan the assassination. Setting up a base in Bulgaria he put together a group of like minded men. His stated motivation for the crime was to destroy the living incarnation of capitalism.

Petkov, an Italianized Bulgarian and former member of the Bulgarian Colonial Army admits to being an ardent Pagan and was attracted to the plot to “break the back of worldwide Christendom and restore paganism to Europe.”

The news of his pagan allegiance is quickly suppressed by Minister Gritti who also informs Minister Rauti to keep aware of extremism within his sect. Rauti is largely considered the spiritual leader of the Pagan movement within the NRE following the death of Evola.

May 18^th 1981

Viceroy Borghese resigns his commission as Grand Admiral after 52 years of service. The “Black Prince” will continue to serve as Viceroy of Ethiopia.

June 3^rd 1981

Medici and Berlusconi push forward an initiative to seriously expand the industrial capacity of Italian East Africa. The plan would allow for a massive amount of new factories to be constructed throughout the colony devoted specifically for the international export of cheap goods. One of the key issues discussed was how consumers would distinguish higher priced, luxury goods from the cheap goods produced. A deal was struck with the major corporations of Italy that two production stamps would be made. Those produced still in Italy proper and Europe would continue to be branded as made in the New Roman Empire and those new products would be stamped “Made in Italian East Africa.”

June 10^th 1981

Consul Medici allows foreign reporters into the inner workings of Mussolini’s tomb to dismiss the outlandish foreign claims that secret rituals took place beneath the tomb. The mainly British and American reporters are led through the tomb and its underground dorms and supply rooms.

William Montgomery, out of retirement for this special assignment wrote for Time Magazine the following:

“....the tomb remains much the same as it had on my previous visits. The effects of millions of visitors a year has not diminished any of its grandeur, following the closing of the tomb every night an army of cleaners and repairmen come out to make it appear as new...One of the first things one will notice as they enter the tomb is the strong smell of flowers and incense. Thousands of pilgrims bring offerings daily ranging from flowers to small trinkets, to plaques, bottles of wine and bread. The massive guest book is replaced nearly daily with praises being lauded on the former dictator. One guest signed with the note, ‘the most fascist Fascist of Gragnano...’ While a trip to the tomb is a once in a lifetime event for many, some come weekly, even daily. An old man told me that he comes to best contemplate his life here in this place of respect and honor remarking ‘You will never find a more sacred place. Here everyone is equal before the Duce. Over there a Catholic Priest speaks of the martyrs of Fascism and their service to the Duce. And, look there an Imam pays his respects to him as the Protector of Islam! Past him, those men are Pagans, honoring him and the ancient gods. No where in the world but here will you see that together...’

Like dorms any other place the dorms of the Praetorian Guard are filled with posters and plaques and other signs of life and interests, but unlike the typical dorm of soldiers or any man in their 20's you will find no pictures of scantily clad women here instead they are Fascist slogans and Roman and Italian heroes. Anything that would dishonor the image of Mussolini is banned and the guardsmen are under orders to abstain from alcohol and tobacco for the duration of their tours. They are almost completely cut off from the outside world and live monastic like lives....Over the bed of one guard is a plaque which reads ‘God created Il Duce before the world. After you, dear emperor, only darkness.’ I’m sure Consul Medici would sorely disagree with the man’s sentiment.

Being sacred ground no souvenirs are sold within the tomb. That doesn’t mean there are no sales of memorabilia. Outside of the tomb are nearly two dozen stands selling everything from Mussolini t-shirts to statues and portraits and everything in between. As a matter of practice all the vendors permits are given to disabled war veterans. Enzo, an Easter War veteran missing two fingers told me how being a vendor outside the tomb was the greatest thing to ever happen to him, “I’m not greedy but I make more money here than I would doing anything else. Some of the vendors are so greedy trying to get every last lira possible. They open early in the morning with the tomb and only close when it closes. And, when the tomb is open all day and night for the holidays they stay open! I come at 10 and by 2 I close. When it rains, I don’t come in. I don’t need too.”

June 15^th 1981

Colosseum Comics publishes “The Centurion vs. Sabra” using the Israeli Marvel superhero as a villain in the comic without permission from Marvel.

June 17^th 1981

Marvel Comics files suit against Colosseum Comics for the illegal usage of their characters image.

June 18^th 1981

Medici announces a new program for the natives of Italian East Africa which will allow anyone to move from their native village to a city and be given an apartment and free appliances if they agree to take a job in the soon to be built factories.

June 20^th 1981

Taken from Montgomery’s latest article on Italy before returning home:

“It would be unfair to visit the tomb commemorating Mussolini’s burial without the one honoring his birth. So, I find myself in the little town of Predappio, with a population of around 6,000 they service over 1 million visitors a year. Taken a line from my previous article they are the ‘most fascist Fascists’ of the Empire. With over 90% of the adult population belonging to the National Fascist Party no other area in the whole Empire can claim such an astounding number.

This was not always the case though, throughout the earliest days of Fascism Predappio was a center of Socialism and Communism. However, over the years migration and just the general fact that the town’s entire economy is based on veneration of Mussolini the population has become more and more radically fascist. That is not to say that everyone is happy with the current state of affairs. An old socialist now in his 80's who agreed to speak with me on the condition he remained anonymous has nothing but disdain for the Duce. ‘It’s abusrd’ he says ‘they come here and treat the man like a god. The Duce this, the Duce that! They call him founder of the Empire, Defender of the Faith, enemy of communists! They all forget he started off a Socialist Republican who hated the church!’

Minor voices of occasional dissent aside the town, it’s inhabitants and visitors are almost completely pro Mussolini. Thousands visit the shrine of the birth daily, then embark on tours throughout the town seeing such locations at his childhood home, still occupied by members of the Mussolini family, his school and other sites of interest in the life of the young Mussolini. Relatives of Mussolini are prominent citizens of the town with many owning gift shops and a nephew of the dictator serving as the town’s mayor...the fascist faithful come here for important events in their lives, weddings, graduations and baptisms with many fascist couples wanting to have their children baptized in Mussolini’s home town to have some of the Duce’s spark or spirit present at this holy event forgetting that Mussolini himself was never baptized in the local church and would not become a Roman Catholic until he was made dictator.”

June 22^nd 1981

Moved by concerns that an Iranian victory could possibly lead to an Islamic Revolution with Pakistan. The Pakistani government announces their intention to join the Lira Block as a junior member and forbids British and French supplies to be pass through their territory if destined for Iran.

End of Part 33.

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