Umberto I of Italy

Who was Umberto I of Italy?

Umberto I or Humbert I, nicknamed the Good, was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death.

Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colonial expansion into East Africa, successfully gaining Eritrea and Somalia despite being defeated by Abyssinia at the Battle of Adowa in 1886. In 1882, he approved the Triple Alliance with the German Empire and Austria-Hungary.

He was deeply loathed in leftist circles, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan. He was especially hated by anarchists, who attempted an assassination on him during the first year of his reign. He was killed by another anarchist, Gaetano Bresci, two years after the Bava-Bacharis massacre.