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Gaetano Bresci was an Italian anarchist who assassinated King Umberto I of Italy. His experience of working as a young weaver led him to believe he was exploited in the workplace, which drew him to anarchism. Bresci emigrated to the United States, where he became involved with other Italian immigrant anarchists in Paterson, New Jersey. News of the Bava Beccaris massacre motivated him to return to Italy, where he planned to assassinate Umberto in response. Local police knew of his return but did not mobilize. Bresci killed the king in July 1900 during Umberto's scheduled appearance in Monza amid a sparse police presence.
Umberto I was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the Horn of Africa, as well as the creation of the Triple Alliance among Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary.
Monza is a city and comune (municipality) on the River Lambro, a tributary of the River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about 15 kilometres north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Monza and Brianza. Monza is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, which hosts the Formula One Italian Grand Prix.