Ugo Cavallero
Ugo Cavallero | |
---|---|
Italy | |
Allegiance | Kingdom of Italy |
Service/ | Royal Italian Army |
Years of service | 1900–1943 |
Rank | Marshal of Italy |
Commands held | Chief of the Defence Staff |
Battles/wars | Italo-Turkish War World War I World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Order of the German Eagle (1st class) |
Ugo Cavallero (20 September 1880 – 13 September 1943) was an Italian military commander before and during World War II. He was dismissed from his command due to his lacklustre performance, and was arrested upon the fall of Benito Mussolini's regime. Cavallero was later freed by the Germans, but refused to collaborate and was found dead the following day.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in
In 1907, Cavallero was initiated in the regular
World War I
In 1915, Cavallero was transferred to the Italian Supreme Command. A skilled organizer and tactician, Cavallero became a
Interwar period
Cavallero retired from the army in 1919 but later rejoined in 1925, at which time he became
Cavallero rejoined the army for the third and final time in 1937. Promoted to
World War II
After Italy entered
On 15 and 19 May 1941 Cavallero, submitted proposals for the Stato Maggiore's complete reorganization to Mussolini. This was implemented in June. The Stato Maggiore Generale was redesignated
In January 1943, after the definitive loss of the African campaign and the setbacks suffered by the Italian Army in Russia, Cavallero was dismissed and replaced by General Vittorio Ambrosio.[10] In response to Cavallero's dismissal, members of the Fascist leadership like Galeazzo Ciano, openly hostile to him, openly expressed their satisfaction.
After Mussolini's government was toppled by the
Death
In the morning of 14 September 1943, he was found dead by a gunshot in the garden of a hotel in Frascati, after having dined and talked with Kesselring the night before. It is still up to debate whether he committed suicide or was assassinated by the Germans. It seems, however, that he firmly expressed his will to refuse to continue collaborating with the Germans.[2]
Honors and awards
Italian
- Knight of the Military Order of Savoy
- "As General Staff Officer in charge of the Operations Section of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army gave, during the Austrian offensive, a precious inexhaustible contribution of intelligence, activity and expertise. Always animated by a very high sense of duty, supported even in the most adverse hours by unshakable faith in victory, he was a faithful and enlightened interpreter of the thoughts of the Command, tirelessly providing the most worthy and meritorious work. Vicenza 15 May–15 July 1916."
- — Royal Decree Number 24 of 12 August 1916
- "During three years of war, first as attaché, then as head of the operations office of the Supreme Command, he stood out in every circumstance for his lucid interpretation and prompt execution of the leaders' thoughts. In the coordination of information on the enemy, in the reorganization of the troops, and in the defensive and counter-offensive preparation of the battle from the Astico to the Piave he gave an invaluable contribution to the work of the supreme command, effectively contributing to the victory of our forces. Battle from Astico to the sea, 15-22 June 1918."
- — Royal Decree of 27 June 1918
- "As supreme commander of the armed forces of Italian East Africa, to deepen the knowledge of all the tactical elements necessary for the operations to be carried out and for a closer and safer contact with the troops located within vast regions that are not easy to navigate, he personally carried out, regardless of any risk or inconvenience, numerous aerial and terrestrial reconnaissances which often took place in adverse weather or in conditions of uncertain safety made such by the latent dangers of predonation, thus giving an example of a high sense of duty, of conscious contempt for danger, and a serene spirit of sacrifice. Sectors and skies of Shoa - Goggiam, January 1938–December 1938.»
- "Took on with great zeal and courage the functions of staff officer in charge of the command, assisting effectively for the entire day. Sidi Garbà, 16 May 1913.»
- War Merit Cross
- Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (4 June 1914)
- Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy (29 December 1918)
- Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy (8 August 1920)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy (18 December 1921)
- Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (13 September 1917)
- Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (21 September 1921)
- Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (11 June 1925)
- Knight of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy (3 April 1924)
- officers and non-commissioned officers, 40 years
- Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918
- Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
- Allied Victory Medal
- Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911–1912
- War Merit Advancement Badge for General Officers and Admirals
Foreign
- Grand Officer of the Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia (31 January 1938)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as Generale di Corpo d'Armata and Chief of the Defence Staff of the Italian Royal Army (19 February 1942) (Nazi Germany)[12]
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle with Swords (November 19541) (Nazi Germany)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (28 May 1927)
See also
Notes
- ISBN 978-0811734134.
- ^ a b c Ceva 1979.
- ^ Bianchi 2012, p. 57.
- ^ Gnocchini, Vittorio (2005). L'Italia dei Liberi Muratori. Milan-Rome: Mimesis-Erasmo. p. 65.
- OCLC 825554858.
- ^ Bianchi 2012, p. 58.
- ISBN 1134565151.
- ISBN 978-1443876766.
- ISBN 978-1472842589.
- ^ Tucker 2016, p. 101.
- ^ Registrato alla Corte dei Conti lì 30 maggio 1940, registro 18, foglio 190 (in Italian)
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 258.
References
- Ceva, Lucio (1979). "Cavallero, Ugo". ISBN 978-8-81200032-6.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 – The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Ceva, Lucio (1995). "Il maresciallo Cavallero". Storia Militare (in Italian). III (19): 4–12. ISSN 1122-5289.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Bianchi, Andrea (2012). Gli Ordini militari di Savoia e d'Italia (in Italian). Associazione Nazionale Alpini. ISBN 978-88-902153-3-9.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-969-6.