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
Dictator perpetuo the next ten years. At some point between January and February 44 BCE he was appointed "dictator perpetuo", but was assassinated less than two months later (on the Ides of March). "Dictator perpetuo" is often mistranslated as "dictator for life", but the title did not imply that Caesar would never resign it. Weinstock has argued that the perpetual dictatorship was part of the senatorial decrees regarding Caesar's divine honors, as well as his planned apotheosis as "Divus Iulius", a complex of honors aimed at eternity and divinity. Dictator perpetuo Dictator perpetuo (English: "dictator in perpetuity"), also called dictator in perpetuum,