Alessandro Fortis

Alessandro Fortis (born 1842, Forlì, Papal States [Italy]—died Dec. 4, 1909, Rome) was a statesman, of strong republican views during the Risorgimento, the 19th-century unification of Italy. Later, under the monarchy, he held several governmental posts, including that of premier (1905–06).

Fortis fought as a volunteer with Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1866 and 1867. After the unification of Italy as a monarchy, he remained an ardent republican and was arrested on Aug. 2, 1874, for conspiring with the socialists to foment insurrection but was released five months later. In 1876 he urged the republicans to begin participating in the government. Elected a deputy in 1880, he drifted to the right politically. He served as minister of agriculture (June 1898–May 1899), and, when Giovanni Giolitti resigned as premier (February 1905), he named Fortis as his successor. Because he was considered Giolitti’s pawn, Fortis had difficulty forming a government. In office he settled a rail strike by declaring railway workers to be civil servants who were not allowed to strike. He nationalized the railways and in so doing offered an exorbitant sum to the railway companies and was accused of corruption. His foreign policy favouring the Triple Alliance was also unpopular. Finally, by reducing import duties on Spanish wine, he aroused opposition that toppled his government in February 1906.