Giovanni Messe
| Giovanni Messe | |
|---|---|
Giovanni Messe
|
|
| Born | 10 December 1883 Mesagne, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 18 December 1968 (aged 85) Rome, Italian Republic |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Italy
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Italian Army
|
| Years of service | 1901–46 |
| Rank | Maresciallo d'Italia |
| Battles/wars |
Italo-Turkish War World War I Second Italo-Abyssinian War World War II |
Giovanni Messe (10 December 1883 – 18 December 1968) was an Italian general, politician, and field marshal (Maresciallo d'Italia). He is considered by many to have been the best Italian general of the Second World War.
Messe was born in Mesagne, in the Province of Brindisi in the Apulia region of Italy on 10 December 1883. Giovanni Messe pursued a military career in 1901. He saw action in the Italian conquest of Libya and in the First World War. During this conflict, he gave an important contribution to the creation and training of the "Arditi", elite infantry units, and with the rank of Maggiore was the commander of the IX Nono Reparto Arditi that fought in the zone of Monte Grappa. Emerging considerably decorated from these conflicts, he became aide-de-camp to King Victor Emmanuel III, holding this post from 1923 to 1927. From this date until 1935, Messe commanded a unit of Bersaglieri and held the rank of Colonel.
In September 1935, Messe assumed command of a motorised brigade in Verona, with the rank of Brigadier General. Following a successful period of service with this unit in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, Messe was promoted to rank of Major General and he became commander of an Italian armoured division.
On April 1939, following the Italian invasion of Albania, Messe was appointed to serve under Albania's governor, General Ubaldo Soddu.
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