Ugo Cavallero | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief of the Italian General Staff | |
| In office 5 December 1940 – 1 February 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Pietro Badoglio |
| Succeeded by | Vittorio Ambrosio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 September 1880 |
| Died | 13 September 1943 (aged 62) |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Order of the German Eagle (1st class) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Branch/service |  Royal Italian Army |
| Years of service | 1900–1943 |
| Rank | Marshal of Italy |
| Commands | Chief of the General Staff |
| Battles/wars | Italo-Turkish War World War I World War II |
Ugo Cavallero (20 September 1880 – 13 September 1943) was an Italian military commander before and duringWorld War II. He was the first Chief of theComando Supremo (Italian Supreme Command) on June 1941. He was dismissed from his command due to his lacklustre performance, and was arrested upon the fall ofBenito Mussolini's regime. Cavallero was later freed by the Germans, but refused to collaborate and was found dead the following day.
Born inCasale Monferrato,Piedmont, Cavallero had a privileged childhood as a member of the Italian nobility. After attending military school, Cavallero was commissioned asecond lieutenant in 1900. Cavallero later attended college and graduated in 1911, earning a degree in mathematics.[1] A man of vast culture, Cavallero was fluent in bothGerman andEnglish.[2] Still in the army, Cavallero fought inLibya in 1913, during theItalo-Turkish War, and was awarded aBronze Medal of Military Valor.[3]
In 1907, Cavallero was initiated in the regularMasonic Lodge "Dante Alighieri" of Turin, which was affiliated to theGrand Orient of Italy.[4] Subsequently, he become a member of theScottish RiteSerenenissima Gran Loggia d'Italia located inRome, where on 15 August 1918 he received the 33rd and highest degree.[5]
In 1915, Cavallero was transferred to the Italian Supreme Command. A skilled organizer and tactician, Cavallero became abrigadier general and chief of the Operations Office of the Italian Supreme Command in 1918. In this capacity, Cavallero was instrumental in forming plans that led to Italian victories atPiave andVittorio Veneto duringWorld War I. During his time as chief of the plan of Italian General Staff, he developed an antipathy withPietro Badoglio, theSottocapo di Stato Maggiore (vice chief of the staff) of the army.
Cavallero retired from the army in 1919 but later rejoined in 1925, at which time he becameBenito Mussolini’s undersecretary of war. A committedfascist, Cavallero was made asenator in 1926 and in 1927 became amajor general. After leaving the army for a second time, Cavallero became involved in business and diplomatic enterprises throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Cavallero rejoined the army for the third and final time in 1937. Promoted tolieutenant general, he became commander of the combined Italian forces inItalian East Africa in 1938 and was made a fullgeneral in 1940.
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After Italy enteredWorld War II, on 6 December 1940 Cavallero replacedPietro Badoglio asChief of the Defence Staff. Shortly after his appointment, Cavallero was sent to command the Italian forces involved in the unsuccessfulGreco-Italian War until the spring of 1941. While he managed to halt the Greek advance, Cavallero was unable to break the stalemate until theGerman intervention.[6] In the meantime, his role as Chief of Staff was filled by GeneralAlfredo Guzzoni.
On 15 and 19 May 1941 Cavallero, submitted proposals for theStato Maggiore's complete reorganization to Mussolini. This was implemented in June. TheStato Maggiore Generale was redesignatedComando Supremo, made more efficient and transformed from a mere advisory body into a true military high command.[7] Under Cavallero, theComando Supremo maintained good relations withOberbefehlshaber Süd, the command of German forces in Italy. Cavallero worked closely with GermanField MarshalAlbert Kesselring; however he had a rather conflicting relationship with Field MarshalErwin Rommel, whoseadvance into Egypt after his success at theBattle of Gazala he opposed, advocating instead the plannedinvasion of Malta; his opinion, shared byKesselring andRintelen, was however discounted by Hitler and Mussolini.[8] Cavallero was promoted toMarshal of Italy on 1 July 1942, soon after the promotion of Rommel to Field Marshal (largely to prevent Rommel from out-ranking him).[9] Despite having a good grasp on the problems inherent to the war in theMediterranean that Italy had to fight, his acquiescence to Mussolini's views (for example his insistence on augmenting the Italian contingent fighting on theEastern Front) led to a fatal dispersion of Italy's meagre resources.[2]
In January 1943, after the definitive loss of the African campaign and the setbacks suffered by theItalian Army in Russia, Cavallero was dismissed and replaced by GeneralVittorio Ambrosio.[10] In response to Cavallero's dismissal, members of the Fascist leadership likeGaleazzo Ciano, openly hostile to him, openly expressed their satisfaction.
After Mussolini's government was toppled by theKing, the newly appointedPrime MinisterPietro Badoglio ordered the arrest of Cavallero. In a letter written in his own defence, Cavallero claimed he had opposed Mussolini and his regime. After theArmistice of Cassibile in September 1943, the Germans freed him. Kesselring offered Cavallero command of the forming armed forces of theItalian Social Republic, but the discovery of the letter led some to question his loyalty.
In the morning of 14 September 1943, he was found dead by a gunshot in the garden of a hotel inFrascati, where he had 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]
Knight of theMilitary Order of Savoy
Officer of the Military Order of Savoy
War Merit Cross
Knight of theOrder 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 theOrder 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 theColonial Order of the Star of Italy (3 April 1924)
Cross for length of service,officers andnon-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.svg)
War Merit Advancement Badge for General Officers and Admirals_BAR.svg)
Grand Officer of theOrder of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia (31 January 1938)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross asGenerale 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 theOrder of the German Eagle with Swords (November 1941)(Nazi Germany)
Knight Grand Cross of theSovereign Military Order of Malta (28 May 1927)| International | |
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