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Italo GariboldiItalian military leader, army general
Date of Birth: 20.04.1879
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Biography of Italo Gariboldi
- Early Career
- Italo-Ethiopian War
- North Africa Campaign
- Commander in the Soviet Union
- Later Years and Legacy
- His son, Mario Gariboldi, became a prominent Italian NATO official.
Biography of Italo Gariboldi
Italo Gariboldi was an Italian military figure, an army general, and the commander of Italian troops in the Soviet Union from 1942 to 1943. He was born on April 20, 1879, in Lodi.
Early Career
Gariboldi graduated from the military academy in 1899 and fought in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. He also participated in World War I and served as the chief of staff of the 77th Division. After the war, he chaired the commission responsible for demarcating the Yugoslavian border. In 1926, he took command of the 26th Infantry Regiment and in 1931 became the commander of the 5th Brigade. Gariboldi later led the Military Academy in Modena and the Technical School in Parma.
Italo-Ethiopian War
From 1935 to 1936, Gariboldi commanded the 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda" during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. His division was part of the 1st Corps stationed in Eritrea, and he served as the governor of Addis Ababa.
North Africa Campaign
Between 1939 and 1941, Gariboldi commanded the 5th Army, stationed on the border with French Tunisia. In December 1940, during Operation Compass, he temporarily assumed command of the 10th Army due to the illness of its commander, General Mario Berti. After the death of Corps General Giuseppe Tellera, who replaced Berti, Gariboldi took command of the virtually defeated and depleted 10th Army on February 7, 1941.
On March 25, he became the Governor General of Libya and temporarily assumed command of Italian forces in North Africa, replacing Marshal Rodolfo Graziani. He handed over command to General E. Bastico on July 19.
Commander in the Soviet Union
From 1942 to 1943, Gariboldi served as the commander of Italian forces in the Soviet Union, leading the 8th Army (Armata Italiana in Russia). On April 1, 1943, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Later Years and Legacy
After the fall of Mussolini's regime and Italy's withdrawal from the war, Gariboldi was captured by German forces and placed in a concentration camp. In 1944, he was accused of treason and sentenced to death but was soon released by the Allies. He passed away in Rome in 1970.
