Moro, Aldo

Moro, Aldo (äl`dō mô`rō), 1916–78, Italian political leader. A lawyer, he entered national politics in 1946, when he was elected to the constituent assembly as a member of the Christian Democratic party. As minister of justice (1955–57), he worked to reform the prison system, strengthening regulations forbidding corporal punishment and improving food, hygiene, and sanitary conditions. He was political secretary of the Christian Democratic party from 1959 to 1963. In Dec., 1963, he became prime minister, a post he held until 1968. He later served as minister of foreign affairs. During the 1970s, he was the leader of the effort to achieve a rapprochement with the Communist party. Moro was kidnapped and assassinated by the terrorist Red Brigades.

Bibliography

See R. Drake, The Aldo Moro Murder Case (1996).

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Moro, Aldo

(born Sept. 23, 1916, Maglie, Italy—died May 9, 1978, near or in Rome) Italian politician and premier of Italy (1963–64, 1964–66, 1966–68, 1974–76, 1976). A professor of law at the University of Bari, he was elected to the legislature in 1946. He served in several cabinet posts, then became secretary of the Christian Democrat Party (1959–63). As premier of Italy, he included socialists in his coalition governments. In 1976 he became president of the Christian Democrats and remained influential in Italian politics. In 1978 he was kidnapped in Rome by the Red Brigades; after the government refused to release Red Brigades members on trial in Turin, he was murdered by his captors.

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Moro, Aldo 

Born Sept. 23, 1916, in Maglie. Italian statesman and political figure.

Moro, a lawyer, has been a professor of criminal law and is the author of works on various aspects of jurisprudence. He began his political career in Catholic youth organizations. After the proclamation of the Italian Republic in 1946, he became a member of the commission to draw up a new constitution. He was elected to parliament in 1948.

From 1948 to 1958, Moro was deputy minister of foreign affairs; he also served as minister of justice and minister of education. From 1959 to 1963, he was political secretary of the Christian Democratic Party; during this period he headed the party’s left wing and advocated a number of social and economic reforms.

From 1963 to 1968, Moro was prime minister of a “left of center” coalition government. He served as minister of foreign affairs from 1969 to 1974. From 1974 to 1976 he was once again prime minister.