Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator and leader of the National Fascist Party, met his end on April 28, 1945. His death was a result of the collapse of Fascist Italy during World War II and the subsequent defeat of Axis powers.
In the final days of World War II, as Allied forces closed in on Germany and Italy was overtaken, Mussolini attempted to escape to Switzerland with his mistress, Clara Petacci. However, they were captured by Italian partisans near the village of Dongo, in northern Italy. After their capture, Mussolini and Petacci were executed by firing squad on April 28, 1945.
Following their execution, the bodies of Mussolini and Petacci were taken to Milan, where they were publicly displayed, hanging upside down from a metal girder at a service station. This act was a clear signal of the Italian people's rejection of Fascism and Mussolini's regime. The display of their bodies was intended to symbolize the end of Mussolini's totalitarian rule and to serve as a warning against tyranny.