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Amadey SavoyskiyItalian prince of the House of Savoy, 3rd Duke of Aosta
Date of Birth: 21.10.1898
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Duke Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta
- Military Career
- World War II and East African Campaign
- Surrender and Death
- Marriage and Family
- Margherita, Duchess of Luxembourg (married Prince Jean of Luxembourg)
Duke Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta
Early Life and EducationBorn to Emmanuel Filibert, 2nd Duke of Aosta, and Helen of Orléans, Prince Amedeo was the elder brother of Aimone, the titular King of Croatia (Tomislav II). Known for his towering height of 198 cm, he succeeded his father as Duke of Aosta in July 1931.
Amedeo received his education at Eton College and the University of Oxford, where he acquired British mannerisms and an Oxford accent. He had a passion for fox hunting and polo.
Military Career
During World War I, Amedeo served in the Italian Royal Army's artillery. After the war, he traveled to Africa before re-entering the military in 1932, joining the Italian Royal Air Force. He played a key role in establishing Italian control in Libya under General Rodolfo Graziani.
In 1937, following the Italian conquest of Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Amedeo was appointed Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa. He also became Commander-in-Chief of Italian forces in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland.
World War II and East African Campaign
When Italy declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, Amedeo commanded Italian troops in the East African Campaign. He led attacks into Sudan and Kenya and invaded British Somaliland. However, in January 1941, British counter-attacks forced the Italians into a defensive position.
After a fierce and protracted struggle, the Battle of Keren ended in Italian defeat. The remainder of Eritrea quickly fell to the British. Faced with supply disruptions and dwindling options, Amedeo concentrated his remaining forces in a series of citadels, including Gondar, Amba Alagi, Dessie, and Jimma. He personally commanded 7,000 Italians in the mountain fortress of Amba Alagi.
Surrender and Death
Due to water shortages and overwhelming enemy forces, Amedeo was forced to surrender Amba Alagi on May 18, 1941. The Italian garrison capitulated on honorable terms.
Shortly after his surrender, Amedeo succumbed to tuberculosis and malaria while in a prison camp in Nairobi.
Marriage and Family
In 1927, Amedeo married his cousin Anne of Orléans, daughter of the Orléanist pretender to the French throne. They had two daughters:
Margherita, Duchess of Luxembourg (married Prince Jean of Luxembourg)
Maria Cristina, Princess of Bourbon-Parma (married Prince Casimir of Bourbon-Parma)
Through Margherita, Amedeo is the maternal grandfather of Lorenz Habsburg-Lothringen, the current titular Duke of Modena.
