Galeazzo Ciano
Count Galeazzo Ciano was Mussolini's son-in-law and Italy's Foreign Minister from 1936 to 1943 — effectively the second most powerful man in Fascist Italy. He negotiated the Pact of Steel with Nazi Germany (1939) and the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Japan (1940), though he privately doubted the alliance. His detailed diary, kept throughout the war, is one of the most important primary sources for Fascist Italy's internal politics. Ciano grew increasingly disillusioned with the war and German dominance; he was among those who voted to depose Mussolini in the Grand Council vote of 25 July 1943. After fleeing to Germany he was handed to the Italian Social Republic, tried for treason at the Verona Trials, and executed by firing squad on 11 January 1944 — on Mussolini's orders.
- Lived: 1903 CE – 1944 CE
- Nationality: Italian
- Roles: diplomat, minister, politician
