Sonnino, Sidney (1847–1922)

Italian politician and diplomat, prime minister in 1906 and 1909–10. As foreign minister 1914–20 he was responsible, with Prime Minister Antonio Salandra, for bringing Italy into World War I on the side of the Allies. He later attended the Inter-Allied Peace Conference in Paris, France, in 1919.

Sonnino was born in Pisa, Italy, of an English mother. He entered parliament in 1880 as a Liberal, and occupied various ministerial posts during his early career, included that of treasury minister 1893–96, when he saved Italian credit by drastic fiscal and financial reforms.