Benito Mussolini January 1945 by Madeleine Mollier, a few months before he was captured and executed by Italian anti-fascist partisans, he stated flatly: "Seven years ago, I was an interesting person. Now, I am little more than a corpse." He continued: On 25 April 1945, allied troops were advancing into northern Italy, and the collapse of the Salò Republic was imminent. Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci set out for Switzerland, intending to board a plane and escape to Spain. Two days later on 27 April, they were stopped near the village of Dongo (Lake Como) by communist partisans Valerio and Bellini
Clara Elisabeth von Platen court of Ernest Augustus, where Clara Elisabeth served as lady-in-waiting to the Duchess Sophia and attracted the Duke's attention. Exerting great influence on him, she bore him two children: Ernst August (1674–1726) and Sophia von Kielmansegg (1675–1717). In spite of being the Duke's / Elector's life-long mistress, Clara Elisabeth was married to Franz Ernst, Baron / Count (Reichsgraf since 1689) von Platen (-Hallermund) (1631–1709) Clara Elisabeth von Platen Clara Elisabeth, Countess von Platen - Hallermund (14 January 1648 - 30 January 1700, Schloss Monplaisir, in what is now the Von-Alten-Garten in Hannover) was a German noblewoman, most notable as the