ABSTRACT
Riccardo Lombardi is one of the most respected elder statesmen of the Italian left and indeed in Italy. To understand the chronic weakness of Italian socialism and the significance of Lombardi's role, it is necessary to take a look at the history of the Italian socialist movement. The Italian Socialist Party was founded in 1892. Socialists and actionists took a strong stand against the continuation of the Italian monarchy which had allied itself to fascism for two decades; the communists, displaying their political suppleness, agreed to drop the monarchy issue as long as the war continued. Lombardi has made major contributions to the intellectual life of his party by emphasizing socialism's responsibility to provide a genuine socio-economic alternative. During the fascist period, Riccardo Lombardi had become an active opponent of fascism, first as a member of the left wing of the Popolari Party and then as a member of Giustizia e Liberta and the Action Party.
