Ugo Cavallero

Infobox Military Person
name= Ugo Cavallero
lived= 20 September 1880 - 13 September 1943
placeofbirth= Casale Monferrato, Piedmont,
placeofdeath=


caption= Ugo Cavallero
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Italy Italy
serviceyears= 1900 - 1943
rank= Marshal of Italy
branch= Italian Army
commands= Italian Supreme Command
unit=
battles= Italo-Turkish War
World War I
World War II
awards=
laterwork=

Ugo Cavallero (September 20, 1880 – September 13 1943) was an Italian military commander before and during World War II.

Biography

Born in Casale Monferrato, Piedmont, Cavallero had a privileged childhood as a member of the Italian nobility. After attending military school, Cavallero was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1900. Cavallero later attended college and graduated in 1911, earning a degree in mathematics. Still in the army, Cavallero fought in Libya in 1913, during the Italo-Turkish War, and was awarded a Bronze Medal for Military Valor. In 1915, Cavallero was transferred to the Italian Supreme Command. A brilliant organizer and tactician, Cavallero became a brigadier 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 at Piave and Vittorio Veneto during World War I.During his time as chief of the plan of Italian General Staff he developed an antipathy with Pietro Badoglio the "Sottocapo 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 became Benito Mussolini’s Undersecretary of War. A committed Fascist, Cavallero was made a senator in 1926 and in 1927 became a major 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 to lieutenant general, he became Commander of the Combined Italian Forces in East Africa in 1938 and was made a full general in 1940. After Italy entered World War II in 1940, Cavallero was made Chief of the Italian Supreme Command, commander of the Italian forces fighting in Greece, and Commander in Chief of the Italian Army Group in Albania. As Chief of the Italian Supreme Command, Cavallero worked closely with German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring and often asked for Kesselring’s advice on military matters. Cavallero also opposed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s invasion of Egypt and campaigned for Rommel’s dismissal in 1942, but he was ignored by both Hitler and Mussolini. Under Cavallero’s leadership, Italy’s military forces performed poorly during the war, but he was nonetheless promoted to Marshal of Italy (field marshal) in 1942 after the promotion to Feldmarshall of Rommel.During his tenure as chief of general staff his performance were very bad, and he become famous for his optimistic view of the course of the war [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 2008
month =May 31
url =http://www.romacivica.net/ANPIROMA/Resistenza/8_settembreo.htm
title =Roma civica website
format =
work =
pages =
publisher =Romacivica
language =italian
accessdate =] .

In 1943, after several serious Italian setbacks (such as the Allies’ capture of Libya), Cavallero was dismissed as Chief of the Supreme Command ("Commando Supremo"). In response to his dismissal, members of the Fascist leadership like Galeazzo Ciano expressed their joy.

After Mussolini’s government was toppled in 1943, Cavallero was arrested by Prime Minister Pietro Badoglio for his Fascist and pro-German views. Cavallero wrote a letter to Badoglio claiming he despised Mussolini and Fascism, but Badoglio did not believe him.

In September 1943, when Badoglio’s government surrendered to the Allies, the Germans invaded Rome and rescued Cavallero. They planned to make him a commander of Italian military forces still loyal to Fascist ideals. However, the Germans found his anti-Fascist letter in Badoglio’s abandoned office and believed him to be a traitor.

Now hated by both the Germans and by the forces loyal to Badoglio, a desperate Cavallero committed suicide. On 13 September, he shot himself in the head. Whether he did so willingly is still a matter of some debate.

Notes