NITTI, FRANCESCO SAVERIO (1868- ), Italian statesman, was born at Melfi (Potenza). He had already become known as a barrister and as professor of financial science at the University of Naples when he entered parliament in 1904. He made his reputation as an authority on economic and financial questions, and was minister of agriculture, industry and trade in the Giolitti cabinet of 1911-14. When the United States entered the World War in 1917, he was entrusted with an economic mission to that country, and certain of his utterances and acts in this connection were severely criticised. He became minister of the treasury in the Orlando cabinet from Oct. 1917 to Jan. 1919. On the fall of the Orlando ministry, which he helped to bring about, he succeeded as premier.
Nitti's adoption of the system of proportional representation resulted in an important increase in the Socialist and Popolari deputies at the elections of Nov. 1919, but he failed to conciliate either group. The epidemic of revolutionary strikes and disorders, seriously weakened his position, and he felt forced to resign on March 12, 1920. But no other statesman being willing to assume the succession, he reconstructed his cabinet ; defeated in the Chamber after the San Remo meeting of the Supreme Council pre sided over by him, to prepare the peace with Turkey, he resigned a second time but again reconstructed his cabinet. The arrest or
dered by him of the Dalmatians and Fiumani in Rome provoked further irritation, and while he at first reduced the bread subsidy for financial reasons, he revoked the decree immediately afterward from fear of the Socialist menaces, and resigned for the last time on June 9, 192o, leaving the door open for Giolitti's return.
On retiring from office he returned to journalism and business. In parliament he opposed Giolitti, but was still more hostile to the Fascists. He was re-elected in 1921, but did not stand in the 1924 elections held under Mussolini's auspices. His house was looted by Fascists, and he himself subsequently left Italy.
Nitti wrote several books on economic questions, including one entitled Nord e Sud (1900), dealing with what he regards as the unfair treatment of South Italy by the wealthier North, and L'Italia all' alba del secolo XX. (19oi). Among his other works, the following have been translated into English : L'Europa senza pace (Eng. trans. 1922) ; La Decadenza dell' Europa (Eng. trans. 1923) ; La Tragedia dell' Europa (Eng. trans. They Make a Desert, 1924). In 1925 his son Vincenzo Nitti published a vindication of his father's policy, L'opera di Nitti.