Army General Ubaldo Soddu | |
|---|---|
 Soddu in 1940 | |
| Born | (1883-07-23)23 July 1883 |
| Died | 25 July 1949(1949-07-25) (aged 66) Rome, Italy |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch |  Royal Italian Army |
| Years of service | 1904–1941 |
| Rank | Army general |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
National Councilor Ubaldo Soddu | |
|---|---|
| In office 1939 (1939) – 8 August 1943 (1943-08-08) | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | National Fascist Party |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy of Infantry and Cavalry,Modena |
| Profession | Military officer |
Ubaldo Soddu (23 July 1883,Salerno – 25 July 1949,Rome) was an Italian Fascistgeneral and politician who held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army andUndersecretary of State for War during the initial phases ofWorld War II. On 13 June 1940, immediately after the outbreak of hostilities withFrance and theUnited Kingdom, he assumed the position of deputy chief of the General Staff. Promoted toarmy general, he replaced generalSebastiano Visconti Prasca as commander of the Albanian Higher Troop Command during theGreco-Italian War on 8 November 1940. Because of the defeat Italian troops suffered between 22 and 23 November 1940, he was replaced after four weeks in command by the ItalianRoyal Army's chief of staff, GeneralUgo Cavallero.
Soddu was born inSalerno on 23 July 1883. His father was aSardinian militaryofficer.[1]
Soddu attended theRoyal Military Academy of Infantry and Cavalry inModena, graduating in 1904 and entering service with theRoyal Army (Italian:Regio Esercito) with the rank ofsottotenente ("sub-lieutenant"), assigned to theinfantry arm.[2] He took part in theItalo-Turkish War of 1911–1912.
Soddu subsequently served inWorld War I, in whichItaly took part from May 1915 to November 1918, He fought on theItalian front from 1915 to 1918, seeing action in theBattles of the Isonzo and theSecond Battle of the Piave River. He was promoted totenente colonnello ("lieutenant colonel") on 8 November 1917, with seniority dating to 7 October 1917.[1]
In 1918 Soddu went to fight on theWestern Front inFrance, becomingcommanding officer of the IIIBattalion, 52nd InfantryRegiment, a part of theAlpi Brigade in the8th Division of theII Army Corps in July 1918. He distinguished himself on the Western Front, receiving twoSilver Medals of Military Valour and aWar Merit Cross from Italy and theLegion of Honour from France.
Soddu returned to Italy in time to fight in theBattle of Vittorio Veneto, the final major battle of the war on the Italian front.
Soddu was attached to the 21st Infantry Regiment until 16 October 1921,[1] when he was attached to the Military College inNaples.[1] On 24 October 1924 he began a new assignment at the Military Academy of Modena — receiving a promotion while there tocolonnello ("colonel") on 5 December 1926 with seniority dating to 3 June 1926[1] — and on 1 October 1927 he became the academy's chief instructor.[1] He later moved to the Army War School to teach the Operations Course for Senior Officers. From 20 November 1930 to 7 September 1933 he was commanding officer of the89th Infantry Regiment "Salerno".[1] On 7 September 1933 he took command of the Central Infantry School, holding that position until 17 December 1933.[1] Subsequently "at the disposal of" theMinistry of War while awaiting orders, he became chief of staff of theMinistry of War on 4 January 1934.[1] He was promoted to the rank ofgenerale di brigata ("brigadier general") for exceptional merit on 12 March 1934.[1]
On 1 April 1934, Soddu became acting commanding officer of the21st Infantry Division "Granatieri di Sardegna".[1] On 6 July 1936 Soddu received a promotion to the rank ofgenerale di divisione ("divisional general") for exceptional merit, with seniority from 15 April 1936,[1] and he became permanent commanding officer of thedivision that day. On 1 December 1937 he became Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army General Staff.[1][3] In November 1938,Generale ("General")Alberto Pariani[4] assigned him to examine an operational plan drawn up byGovernor-General ofLibyaItalo Balbo for an invasion ofEgypt in the event of a war with France and theUnited Kingdom. It envisaged concentrating available Italian forces in the east of Libya and remaining strictly on the defensive in western Libya on theTunisian border.[5] In an official report, Soddu stated that there was no alternative to an offensive toward Egypt "because a defensive attitude on the eastern frontier would favor the concentration of English troops." In an accompanying personal note, however, he added that a serious offensive plan could only be implemented with the "immediate" availability in Libya of sufficient forces to carry it out.[5] He was elevated to the rank ofgenerale di corpo d'armata ("army corps general") on 1 April 1939.[1]
Italy initially remainedneutral inWorld War II, which began withNazi Germany′sinvasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. On 31 October 1939[6] Soddu was appointedUndersecretary of State at the Ministry of War,[3] and he assumed that position on 3 November 1939.[1] On 31 March 1940 he received a secret memorandum written byPrime MinisterBenito Mussolini in which Mussolini announced his intention to enterWorld War II alongsideNazi Germany against France and the United Kingdom; this highly confidential memorandum was delivered toKingVictor Emmanuel III that same day and subsequently to theMinister of Foreign Affairs,Galeazzo Ciano; the Chief of the General Staff,Marshal of ItalyPietro Badoglio; the Chief of Staff of the Royal Army, Marshal of ItalyRodolfo Graziani; the Chief of Staff of theRegia Marina ("Royal Navy")Ammiraglio d'Armata ("Admiral of the Navy")Domenico Cavagnari; the Chief of Staff of theRegia Aeronautica ("Royal Air Force"),Generale di divisione aerea ("Divisional General of the Air")Francesco Pricolo; theMinister of Italian AfricaAttilio Teruzzi; and the secretary of theNational Fascist Party,Ettore Muti.
On 10 April 1940, Soddu was awarded the title of Commander of theMilitary Order of Savoy. In April 1940 he reorganized[7] theServizio Informazioni Militare ("Military Information Service"), arranging that the branch that dealt withcounterespionage and anti-sabotage would form a new service,Controspionaggio Militare e Servizi Speciali (CSMSS, "Military Counter-Espionage and Special Services"). Placed under the command of ColonelSanto Emanuele, this service was intended for counter-espionage and "special services" tasks such as sabotage, special attacks,terrorism, and the physical elimination of adversaries.
Italy entered World War II on the side of theAxis powers on 10 June 1940 withits invasion of France during theBattle of France by the Italian Royal Army′sArmy Group West. On 13 June 1940, Soddu assumed additional duties as deputy chief of the Supreme General Staff[1][3] and commander of theArmata Territoriale ("Territorial Army"). He then joined Graziani in an inspection tour of the front insouthern France. The Battle of France ended with the defeat of France and theFranco-Italian Armistice, which went into effect on 25 June 1940.
TheGreco-Italian War began on 28 October 1940 when Italian forces in theItalian protectorate of Albania invadedGreece. On 8 November 1940, after a disappointing performance by Italian forces, Soddu replaced[8]Generale designato ("General-designate")Sebastiano Visconti Prasca as commander ofHigher Forces Command Albania (XXVI Army Corps).[8] Simultaneously retaining his roles as Under-Secretary of State for War and Deputy Chief of the Supreme General Staff, he was promoted to the rank ofgenerale designato d'armata ("army general-designate") either on 4[1] or 8[9] November 1940, according to different sources. Soddu had orders to stop the Italian retreat and stabilize the front, then resume the offensive as soon as possible.[10]
Once he arrived inAlbania, Soddu′s first order was to halt the floundering Italian offensive and take a defensive stance while awaiting the arrival of substantial reinforcements. He decided to launch a final offensive to resolve the war in Italy′s favor only at a later time, when more troops were available. During an inspection carried out on 17 November 1940, Pricolo met with Soddu and in his diary noted that he found Soddu — who had no previous experience of commanding anything larger than a battalion, let alone afield army, in wartime[11] — insecure and fearful about the situation, writing that "he showed concern and intermittent confidence."[12] Visconti Prasca, who took command of the11th Army in Albania after Soddu′s arrival, criticized Soddu′s defensive provisions; after only a few days in command of the 11th Army, Visconti Pracsa was recalled to Italy and replaced by GeneralCarlo Geloso on either 11[13] or 16[14][15] November 1940, according to different sources. For his part, Soddu, who as a hobby and part-time job composed musical scores for film soundtracks for the Italian film studioCinecittà, often retreated for hours at a time to seek solace in composing music,[10] leaving his subordinates leaderless as Italian forces suffered continued setbacks in Greece and Albania.
On 14 November 1940, theGreek Army under the command of GeneralAlexander Papagos went on its first offensive of the war, beginning theBattle of Morava–Ivan. With a force of fourdivisions and onebrigade, the Greeks attacked the northwestern sector of theMacedonian front, held by Italian troops stationed along the course of the riverDevoll, concentrating in particular between theMorovamassif andMount Ivan, with the objective of seizingKorçë, Albania. With the arrival of two more Greek divisions in the combat zone, the situation on the front became unsustainable for the Italians and, fearing a Greek breakthrough, Soddu decided on a retreat of about 50 kilometres (31 mi), abandoning Korçë to the Greeks. The conquest of the city led to public demonstrations of jubilation in the streets in Greece and had major political and military repercussions in Italy. On 30 November 1940, the day he was promoted togenerale d'armata ("army general"),[1] Soddu was replaced in the roles of Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Undersecretary of State for War by GeneralAlfredo Guzzoni.[16] Geloso, commanding the 11th Army, proposed that theEpirus front, to avoid a possible encirclement, also retreat 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the north ofSarandë (Italian:Santi Quaranta) and Gjirokastër. Soddu did not accept Geloso′s recommendation, and between 1 and 2 December 1940 the Greeks broke through the Italian front in thePërmet sector,[11] threatening to capture the vital Albanian port ofVlorë (Italian:Valona).[10]
The disaster caused Soddu great emotional stress.[11] In a telephone call with Guzzoni on 4 December 1940, Soddu even suggested that Mussolini resolve the conflict diplomatically with a proposal for anarmistice.[17] Mussolini could have viewed the call as treasonous and grounds for ordering Soddu's execution, but Mussolini's lingering regard for Soddu led him instead to send GeneralUgo Cavallero — who, after Badoglio 's resignation on 28 November 1940, officially became Chief of the General Staff on 4 December 1940 — to Albania to help Soddu and evaluate his performance.[10] Soddu and GeneralMario Vercellino, the commander of the Italian9th Army, greeted Cavallero when he arrived at Vercellino's headquarters inElbasan, Albania, on the afternoon of 4 December 1940,[18] and from then on Soddu served only nominally as commander while Cavallero directed the conduct of war operations through him.[10][18] Cavallero finally officially replaced Soddu in command of the troops on either 30 December 1940[1] or 13 January 1941,[10] according to different sources. Soddu′s removal from command stemmed in part from his practice of dabbling in composing film soundtracks even in wartime, which Mussolini found inappropriate.[19]
Soddu was recalled to Italy, where he was attached to the Ministry of War.[1] He retired from the army on 1 May 1941.[1]
As a member of theNational Fascist Party, Soddu became a member, or "national councilor," of theChamber of Fasces and Corporations in 1939 during theXXX Legislature of Italy, and he remained a member of the chamber during World War II. Mussolini′sfascist regime ended on 25 July 1943, and 8 August 1943 Soddu leftparliament and retired to private life, although he served as a special observer of theFirst Badoglio government, which succeeded Mussolini's regime.
The Kingdom of Italy surrendered to theAllies on 9 September 1943 andswitched to the Allied side. Germany immediately forciblyoccupied the portions of Italy not yet under Allied control and established apuppet state in northern Italy, theItalian Social Republic under Mussolini, which continued the war on the Axis side, resulting in theItalian Civil War between forces loyal to the Kingdom of Italy and those loyal to the Italian Social Republic. Soddu was arrested and imprisoned briefly atForte Boccea inRome, but after the Germans took control of Rome the German commander-in-chief in Italy,Generalfeldmarschall ("Field Marshal")Albert Kesselring, ordered his release on 12 September 1943. In March 1944, Soddu swore allegiance to the Italian Social Republic, revealing his continued sympathy for the Italian fascist regime and its alliance with the Axis powers. The Italian fascists disliked him, however, and as a result he saw no active service with the Italian Social Republic.[20] The Fascist politicianGiovanni Preziosi attacked Soddu harshly between December 1944 and March 1945 in the journalLa vita italiana, accusing him of being aFreemason and of having purposely sabotaged the military campaign in Greece in 1940–1941. Soddu protested to Mussolini, who played down Preziosi′s allegations, saying that it was not the time for investigations.[20]
World War II inEurope and the Italian Civil War ended in May 1945 with thesurrender of Germany to the Western Allies on 8 May 1945 and to theSoviet Union on 9 May and the dissolution of the Italian Social Republic. After the war Soddu faced no particular disciplinary consequences for his support of the Italian Social Republic, in part because he by then had been on the sidelines of Italian politics for years.
Soddu did not write any memoirs of the 1940–1941 Greek campaign except for an unpublished typescript entitledMemorie e riflessioni di un generale ("Memoirs and Reflections of a General"), dated "Desenzano del Garda, Winter 1948."[21]
Soddu died in Rome on 25 July 1949.[1]
AFreemason, Soddu was initiated in 1912 into the "Nicola Fabrizi - Secura Fides" Lodge of Modena.[22] In addition to his hobby of composing music for films, he developed a reputation during his career for having a fondness for fine food andwine.[10] He once described his military career by saying, "...when youhave a fine plate ofpasta guaranteed for life, and a little music, you don't need anything more."[23]
Commander of theMilitary Order of Savoy (Royal Decree of 10 April 1940[24])
Silver Medal of Military Valor (first award)Silver Medal of Military Valor (second award)
War Merit Cross
Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Turkish War 1911–1912
Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918 (four years of campaign)
Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
Allied Victory Medal
Commemorative Medal of the Expedition to Albania
Knight of theOrder of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Commander of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (26 March 1936)
Knight of theOrder of the Crown of Italy[25]
Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy (Royal Decree 18 April 1931)[26]
Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy
Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (Royal Decree, 31 March 1937)[27]
Knight of theColonial Order of the Star of Italy (Royal Decree 28 December 1933)[28]
Officer of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy
Commander of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy (Royal Decree 19 December 1934)
Grand Officer of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy (Royal Decree 27 December 1934)[29]
Knight of the Order of theLegion of Honour (France)
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