| Rodolfo Graziani | |
|---|---|
| August 11, 1882 - January 11, 1955 | |
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|
| Place of birth | Filettino, Italy |
| Place of death | Rome, Italy (aged 72) |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy (1915 -
1943) Italian Social Republic (1943 -
1945) |
| Service/branch | Regio Esercito (Royal Italian Army) (1914 -
1943) Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano (1943 - 1945) |
| Years of service | 1903 - 1945 |
| Rank | General Vice Governor of Italian Cyrenaica Governor of Italian Cyrenaica Governor of Italian Somaliland Marshal of Italy Governor of Italian East Africa Viceroy of Italian East Africa Governor of Italian Libya Minister of Defense (RSI) |
| Unit | Italian Tenth Army |
| Battles/wars | Second Italo-Abyssinian
War World War II |
Rodolfo Graziani, 1st Marquess of Neghelli (August 11, 1882 - January 11, 1955), was an officer in the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) who led military expeditions in Africa before and during World War II.
Contents |
Rodolfo Graziani was born in Filettino (near the town of Frosinone) in the Province of Frosinone in the Kingdom of Italy. In 1903, he decided to pursue a military career. He served in World War I and became the youngest colonel in the Italian Royal Army.
In the 1920s, Graziani commanded the Italian forces in Libya. He was responsible for pacifying the Senussi rebels. During this so-called "pacification," he was responsible for the construction of several concentration camps and labor camps, where tens of thousands Libyan prisoners died, if not killed[1] directly by hanging, like Omar Mukhtar, or bullets, then indirectly by starvation or disease. His deeds earned him the nickname "the Butcher of Fezzan"[2] among the Arabs, but was called by the Italians the Pacifier of Libya ("Pacificatore della Libia").
From 1926 to 1930, Graziani was the Vice Governor of Italian Cyrenaica in Libya. In 1930, he became Governor of Cyrenaica and held this position until 1934 when it was determined that he was needed elsewhere. In 1935, Graziani was made the Governor of Italian Somaliland.
From 1935 to 1936 during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Graziani was the commander of the southern front. His army invaded Ethiopia from Italian Somaliland and he commanded Italian forces in the Battle of Genale Doria and the Battle of the Ogaden. However, Graziani's efforts in the south were secondary to the main invasion launched from Eritrea by General Emilio De Bono and continued by Marshal of Italy Pietro Badoglio. It was Badoglio and not Graziani who entered Addis Ababa in triumph after his "March of the Iron Will." But it was the ruthless Graziani who said: "The Duce will have Ethiopia, with or without the Ethiopians."
Addis Ababa fell to Badoglio on May 5, 1936. Graziani had wanted to reach Harar before Badoglio reached Addis Ababa, but failed to do so. Even so, on May 9, Graziani was awarded for his role as commander of the southern front with a promotion to the rank of Marshal of Italy (Maresciallo d'Italia).
After the war, Graziani was made Viceroy and Governor-General of Ethiopia. Graziani survived an assassination attempt on February 19, 1937 a bloody and indiscriminate repression followed. He became known as "the Butcher of Ethiopia".[3]
From 1939 to 1941, Graziani was the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Army's General Staff.
At the start of World War II, Graziani was still the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Army's General Staff. After the death of Marshal Italo Balbo, he took his place as the Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa and as the Governor General of Libya. Balbo was killed in a friendly fire incident on 28 June 1940.
Initially giving Graziani a deadline of 8 August, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ordered Graziani to invade Egypt with the Tenth Army. Graziani expressed doubts about the ability of his largely un-mechanized force to defeat the British and put off the invasion for as long as he could. However, faced with demotion, Graziani ultimately followed orders and elements of the Tenth Army invaded Egypt on 9 September. The Italians made modest gains into Egypt and then prepared a series of fortified camps to defend their positions. In 1941, Graziani resigned his commission after the British counterattacked and the Tenth Army was completely defeated by them during Operation Compass.
On 25 March 1941, Graziani was replaced by General Italo Gariboldi.
Graziani was the only Italian marshal to remain loyal to Mussolini after Dino Grandi's Grand Council of Fascism coup. He was appointed Minister of Defence of the Italian Social Republic and oversaw the mixed Italo-German LXXXXVII "Liguria" Army (Armee Ligurien) commanded by General Alfredo Guzzoni.
At the end of the war, Graziani spent a few days in San Vittore prison in Milan before being transferred to Allied control. He was brought back to Africa in Anglo-American custody, staying there until February 1946. Allied forces then felt the danger of assassination or lynching had passed and returned him to Procida prison in Italy.
In 1950, a military tribunal sentenced Graziani to prison for a term of 19 years as punishment for his collaboration with the Nazis, but he was released after serving only a few months of the sentence. He died in Rome in 1955.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pietro Badoglio |
Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian
East Africa 11 June 1936 to 21 December 1937 |
Succeeded by Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Italo Balbo |
Commander-in-Chief of Italian
North Africa and Governor-General of Italian
Libya 28 June 1940 to 25 March 1941 |
Succeeded by Italo Gariboldi |
|
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Rodolfo Graziani (August 11, 1882 – January 11, 1955) was an Italian military officer who led expeditions in Africa before and during World War II. He became commander after the death of Italo Balbo. He resigned his commission in 1941 after being defeated by the British in Operation Compass. He was the only one of the Italian marshals to remain loyal to Mussolini after Dino Grandi's Grand Council of Fascism coup, and was appointed Minister of Defence of the Italian Social Republic. In 1950, a military tribunal sentenced Graziani to prison for a term of 19 years as punishment for his collaboration with the Nazis, but he was released after serving only a few months of the sentence. He died in Rome a few years later.
   | killed - Italian atrocities in world war two | Education | The Guardian |
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