Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio | |
|---|---|
| File:Pbadoglio.jpg | |
| 41st President of the Council of Ministers of Italy | |
| In office July 25, 1943 – June 18, 1944 | |
| Monarch | Victor Emmanuel III |
| Preceded by | Benito Mussolini |
| Succeeded by | Ivanoe Bonomi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 150px September 28, 1871 Grazzano Badoglio, Italy |
| Died | November 1, 1956 (aged 85) Grazzano Badoglio, Italy |
| Resting place | 150px |
| Political party | None (Provisional Military Government) |
| Parent |
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Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba (September 28, 1871 – November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier, politician and alleged war criminal for the use of poison gas and systematically bombarding and strafing Red Cross hospitals and ambulances during the Ethiopia campaign. Due to post-war expediencies, however, he was never brought to justice.[1]
Biography
He was born in Grazzano Monferrato (later Grazzano Badoglio) in the province of Asti (Piedmont).
After studying at the military academy in Turin, he served with the Italian Army from 1892, at first as a Lieutenant in artillery, taking part in the campaigns in Eritrea (1896) and Libya (1912), where he distinguished himself at the Battle of Zanzur. At the beginning of Italian participation in World War I, he was a Lieutenant Colonel; he rose to the rank of General following his handling of the capture of Monte Sabotino in May 1916 and by the late months of 1917 was the Sottocapo di Stato Maggiore vice chief of the staff despite being partially responsible in the disaster at Caporetto (October 24, 1917).
Post-war, he was named as a senator, but also remained in the army with special assignments to Romania and the U.S. in 1920 and 1921. At first, he opposed Benito Mussolini and after 1922 was side-lined as ambassador to Brazil. A change of political heart soon returned him to Italy and a senior role in the army as Chief of Staff from May 4, 1924. He was governor of Libya from 1929 to 1933. While Emilio de Bono began the invasion of Abyssinia in 1935, he was replaced by Badoglio in 1936. He approved the use of mustard gas and finally captured Addis Ababa and won the conflict.
Marshal Badoglio led the Italian troops into Addis Ababa on May 5, and Mussolini declared King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Emperor of Ethiopia and Ethiopia an Italian province. On this occasion, Badoglio was declared the first Viceroy of Ethiopia and received the title of "Duke of Addis Abeba". He was not in favour of the Italian-German Pact of Steel and was pessimistic about the chances of Italian success in any European war but didn't oppose the decision of Mussolini and the King to declare war on France and Great Britain. He resigned in December 1940, following the Italian army's poor display in the invasion of Greece.
Following the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, there was a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council on July 24 and the following day, in a technical coup d'etat, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy dismissed Mussolini and appointed Badoglio to head the government. Martial law was declared, Mussolini was arrested and negotiations were opened with the Allies.
Badoglio signed the Italian armistice with the Allies on September 3 in Cassibile; the document was published by the Allies on September 8, when Badoglio had not yet communicated this decision to the Italian forces, which were surprised by the switch; after that, he together with Victor Emanuel III and some military ministries and the Chief of General Staff escaped to Pescara and Brindisi, seeking Allied protection. The longer version of the armistice was signed on September 23 in Malta and the Badoglio government officially declared war on Germany on October 13. Badoglio did not head the government for long: following the rescue of Mussolini, the liberation of Rome and increasingly strong opposition, he was replaced by Ivanoe Bonomi and other committed anti-Fascists. He was never brought to justice by the allies because he helped them in the invasion of Italy.
Private life
In 1904, Pietro Badoglio married Sofia Valania, by whom he had four children: Mario Ferdinando Antonio Luigi, Francesco Ferdinando, Paulo Ferdinando, and Maria Immacolata Luigia Antonietta.
References and Sources
- Italian Defence Minister website official biograrhy of Pietro Badoglio as Chief of the General Staff [2]
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