Through the prism of the rise and fall of Galeazzo Ciano (1903-1944), this biography is a comprehensive study of a leading member of the fascist regime other than Benito Mussolini.

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Family

The Son of a Hero
The Ciano Family in Livorno
Ciano’s Friends
The Fascist Family
Shaping Italian Society 

2. The Politician

The Minister
The Fascist
The Elite
The Catholic and Monarchist
The Fascist Oligarchy 

3. The Diplomat

Italy’s Role in the World
Diplomacy and Performance
Parallel and Secret Diplomacy
Blackmail, Terror, and War
Assessing Fascist Italy’s Foreign Diplomacy 

4. The Successor

The Deputy Duce
Fascist Masculinities: Ciano versus Mussolini
The Undecided One
The "Good Fascist"
Succession and Struggle in Fascism

Epilogue: A Man of His Time

Appendix

Chronology
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index

Tobias Hof is a Privatdozent for Modern History at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität.