OVRA

The OVRA was the secret police of Mussolini in Fascist Italy. It was formed in 1927 and lead by Arturo Bocchini. The full Italian name for OVRA was 'Opera Vigilanza Repressione Antifascismo' which means the 'Organisation for Vigilance against Anti-Fascist Activities' in English.

About 4000 people were arrested by the OVRA and sent to prisons on remote Mediterranean islands. The conditions in these prisons were extremely poor so many anti-Fascists simply left Italy for their own safety.

The death penalty had also been restored under Mussolini for serious offences, but from 1927 to 1940, only ten people were sentenced to death. As a result, the actions of the OVRA have been massively overshadowed by the actions of their contemporaries, the Gestapo and SS in Nazi Germany.