Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì

Antonio Starabba, the Marquess of Rudinì, was a paradox: a southern Italian aristocrat from Palermo who rose to lead a unified Italy dominated by northern interests. A staunch conservative, his political career was a reaction to the expansive and often chaotic governments of the Left. He served twice as Prime Minister in the 1890s, a decade of profound social strain. His first term was brief, but his second, from 1896 to 1898, was marked by crisis. He inherited the disastrous aftermath of the Battle of Adwa in Ethiopia, which ended Italian colonial dreams in East Africa, and a country seething with economic discontent. Rudinì's response was rigidly financial and authoritarian. He imposed severe austerity to balance the budget, cutting military and social spending. When protests erupted over bread prices, particularly in Milan in 1898, his government responded with brutal military force in the so-called 'Fatti di Maggio' (May Events). This repression ultimately led to his fall, cementing his legacy as a defender of order and fiscal rigor, regardless of the human cost.