Giovanni Messe

Marshal of Italy Giovanni Messe
Messe in 1941
Chief of the Italian General Staff
In office 18 November 1943 – 1 May 1945
Preceded by	Vittorio Ambrosio
Succeeded by	Claudio Trezzani
Personal details
Born	10 December 1883 Mesagne, Kingdom of Italy
Died	18 December 1968(1968-12-18) (aged 85) Rome, Italian Republic
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy Italian Republic
Branch/service	Royal Italian Army
Years of service	1901–1947
Rank	Marshal of Italy
Commands	First Army German-Italian Panzer Army Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Battles/wars	Italo-Turkish War World War I Solstice Col Moschin Second Italo-Abyssinian War World War II Balkans Campaign (World War II) Greco-Italian War Invasion of Albania Battle of Ponte Perati German invasion of Greece Italian–Soviet War Operation Barbarossa Battle of the Two Rivers Battle of Petrikowka Capture of Stalino Capture of Gorlovka Battle of Chazepetovka Battle of Nikitovka Christmas Battle (1941) Battles of Izyum First Battle of Don Tunisian Campaign Battle of the Mareth Line Battle of El Guettar Battle of Medenine Battle of Wadi Akarit Operation Vulcan Battle of Enfidaville Operation Strike (POW) Italian Campaign (World War II)

Giovanni Messe (10 December 1883 – 18 December 1968) was an Italian field marshal and politician. In the Second World War, he was captured in Tunisia but made chief of staff of the Italian Co-belligerent Army after the armistice of September 1943. Later, he was an elected representative in the Italian Senate. He is considered by many to have been the best Italian general of the war.

Early life and career

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.

If he had written his autobiography, Messe could have told the story of Italian military history in the first half of the twentieth century

— Sergio Romano

Ottomans and First World War

Main articles: Italo-Turkish War, World War I, Military history of Italy during World War I, and Battle of Col Moschin

He was sent to Libya as part of the Italo-Turkish War, he took part in several battles in the Tripoli area, where he earned his first decorations on the field, but was repatriated in September 1912 for health reasons. After recovering and being promoted to Lieutenant, in 1913 he was assigned to the III Battalion of the 84th Infantry Regiment stationed in Libya. Promoted to Captain on 17 November 1915, Messe was repatriated at the end of 1916 to participate in the First World War on the Italian front. During the First World War, Messe fought in the 57th Infantry Regiment and with several Arditi units, including the IX Assault Unit, which he commanded on Monte Grappa, distinguishing himself in the conquest of Col Moschin and being wounded twice. He was nominated for the Gold Medal for Military Valor, later commuted to the third Silver Medal for Military Valor for the feats of arms on Monte Asolone, and obtained two promotions (to Major and Lieutenant Colonel) for "war merit". He had also fought in Albania in 1918 as a Adriti assualt commandar.

Interwar period

Main articles: Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Italian invasion of Albania, interwar period, and Kingdom of Italy

After the war, on 3 June 1919 he was initiated into Freemasonry in the Michelangiolo Lodge in Florence in 1919, and was assigned to the Padua depot which he left to participate in the operations in Albania in 1920, when this nation tried to gain independence from the Italian Protectorate of Albania. Returning to Italy in 1923, he was appointed effective Aide-de-Camp to the sovereign Victor Emmanuel III after four years he was promoted to Colonel and appointed honorary Aide-de-Camp. Messe was given command of the 9th Bersaglieri Regiment, which he held until 16 September 1935, when he was given designated command of the 3rd Celere Brigade in Verona. After being promoted to Brigadier General, he obtained effective command of the Celere Brigade and was subsequently appointed Deputy Commander of the Cosseria Division, with which he participated in the final stages of the campaign in East Africa during the conquest of Ethiopia. He returned to Italy on 28 September 1936, and after briefly serving as inspector of the Celere troops, he was promoted to Division General and commander of the 3rd Celere Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" (the previous Celere Brigade, which had since been reorganized as a Division). 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 the 3rd Cavalry Division.

In March 1939 Messe was appointed Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Force in Albania and participated, in this capacity, in the operations for the conquest of the country, leading the column that landed in Durazzo, in the period immediately preceding the outbreak of the Second World War.

World War II

Greece

Main articles: Balkans Campaign (World War II), Greek invasion of Albania (1941), and Battle of Ponte Perati

From 15 November 1940, Messe commanded the Special Army Corps during the Greco-Italian War of late 1940 and early 1941 and achieved some success against Greek forces commanded by Alexandros Papagos. Before winter had even set in however, the Italian forces were forced onto the defensive, as Greek forces launched a counterattack and moved into parts of Italian controlled Albania. On 4 April, Hitler told Mussolini that defending Albania was crucial for Operation Marita. In early April, Papagos launched new attacks toward Elbasan, Berat, and Valona, but despite some initial gains, the Greek advance slowed as Italian defences strengthened. Giovanni Messe launched an counterattack from South Albania occupying the Western coast of Greece, with the help of the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht), the Battle of Greece, ended in an Axis victory.

Russia

Main articles: Italian participation in the Eastern Front, CSIR campaigns in Russia, and Operation Barbarossa

Having returned to Italy in June, on 14 July 1941 Messe obtained command of the CSIR (Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia), replacing the designated Commander in Vienna who had fallen ill, General Francesco Zingales , with whom he undertook the advance into Russia between the Dnieper and Don rivers. This Army Corps had approximately 62,000 men in three Divisions ("Celere", "Pasubio" and "Torino", the last ones on foot despite their qualification as "motor transportable") and the 63rd CC.NN. Assault Legion "Tagliamento", approximately 2,000 men under the command of the consul Niccolò Nicchiarelli. Overall, Messe could count on 17 Rifle Battalions (12 Infantry, 3 Motorcyclist Bersaglieti, 2 Blackshirts), 7 Battalions of accompanying weapons, a Battalion of Sappers, 14 Independent Companies, 10 Cavalry Squadrons (Regiments "Savoia Cavalleria" and "Lancieri di Novara"), 4 Regiments of almost useless CV33 pompously defined by the regime as tanks, in reality the equivalent of the British Bren carriers, 24 Artillery Groups, 10 Engineer Battalions, a Chemical Battalion and 12 Carabinieri Sections ; a contingent of the Royal Air Force was also deployed (51 fighters, 22 reconnaissance aircraft and 10 Savoia-Marchetti SM81 transport trimotors, the latter often representing a means of quickly supplying the troops at the front by parachute dropping materials). The overall strength was therefore approximately between 50,000 and 60,000 troops, 2,900 officers, 4,600 quadrupeds, 220 artillery pieces and 5,500 vehicles, many of which were requisitioned from public transport companies. The insufficiency of the equipment and means of the Italian Royal Army was immediately evident, the personal armament consisted of the dated but robust Carcano Mod. 91 rifle, the Breda Mod. 37 heavy machine gun and the Mortaio da 81 Model 35 ; On the other hand, the Breda Mod. 30 and Breda Mod. 5C machine guns were mediocre and easily jammed, the Brixia Model 35 45 mm mortars fired bombs that were too light, and the hand grenades with fuses that were ineffective in snow and mud. Individual automatic weapons comparable to the PPŠ-41 or the MP 40 were completely lacking. The Infantry lacked real anti-tank guns and the 47/32 Model 1935, an improvised flanking gun in the anti-tank role, was useless against Soviet T-34s.

The Army Corps' winter equipments, as Messe complained, was insufficient and, if during the first winter of the war the CSIR was supplied in time with adequate woolen clothing which, although made of recycled wool of lower quality than new, was in such quantity as to equal the CSIR's winter clothing coverage to that of the Germans, the ARMIR (Italian Army in Russia) instead had to face the second winter without the practical padded coats used by allies and enemies, without white overalls suitable for camouflaging with the environment (they were distributed only to the "Monte Cervino" Alpine Ski Battalion ) and without adequate footwear: the nailed boots, unsuitable for mud and snow, could not be padded with additional socks and the nails encouraged the formation of ice. During the first winter, cases of frostbite were relatively few because the infantrymen spent the nights in huts or bunkers. However, Messe immediately wrote that the troops needed footwear similar to valenki , that is, high, sturdy felt boots of easy construction. But the lack of flexibility of the commands and, probably, the interests of the suppliers, meant that the production of such footwear was not even taken into consideration and Rome only authorised the purchase of Russian pieces locally.

Giovanni Messe inspecting his troops in Russia

Main article: Battle of the Two Rivers

The troops led by Messe immediately demonstrated their value, but also their insufficient supply of materials. Called to operate together with the German forces intent on cutting off the road to the Soviet retreat, on 10 August the vanguard of the "Pasubio" , under the command of Colonel Epifanio Chiaramonti, advanced on Voznesensk and then towards Pokrovka, despite the bad weather that blocked the rest of the Division. Marching along the right bank of the Bug in a south-east direction to cut off the Russians' retreat towards the strategic city of Nikolaev , the "Chiaramonti Column" on 11 August came into contact with the enemy at the height of Yasnaja Poljana, where it had a heavy firefight with the Soviets who ultimately retreated. The battle between the Dniester and Bug river was still ongoing when, on 14 August, the command of Army Group South decided to assign the Italian troops directly to von Kleist's Panzer Group to replace the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" at Chigirin and other garrisons along the Dnieper in the following days (subsequently participating in the brief struggle for the Dnepropetrovsk bridgehead). This decision had significant consequences for the CSIR, the Panzer Army was the spearhead of Army Group South and so the Italian Expeditionary Force found itself very close to the heart of the fighting. This demonstrated that the Germans did not have sufficient Fast Infantry Units and, therefore, were forced to request Italian support: Messe was proud to be able to take part in the main battles, but on the other hand he became aware that from now on there would be the concrete risk of participating in missions beyond his forces. He nevertheless joined a meeting with General von Kleist, whose objective was to join up with General Heinz Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army beyond the Dnepr and thus complete the encirclement of the Russian lines near Kiev.

The lack of motorized vehicles did not allow the Italians to advance compactly and quickly, so at the beginning only the "Pasubio" advanced towards the Dnepr together with the III Army Corps of the German 17th Army , covering its left flank and leaving the Allied units free to advance further towards the east. The command of the Expeditionary Corps tried in every way to lead the " Celere " and the " Torino " up to the Dnepr, given that the German command urgently required these forces; moreover, the desire to show off the potential of the Royal Army was important for the Italian officers, but the two Divisions followed the "Pasubio" only with great difficulty.

On 29 August Mussolini reached Uman' by plane, where he reviewed the Italian units. On this occasion Messe had a meeting with the Duce where he reported on the good behaviour of the troops and requested the sending of further vehicles, complaining about the shortage of means and materials for the winter. The Duce promised that he would push the Germans to respect the agreements: in fact an agreement had been stipulated according to which the Wehrmacht committed to supply the CSIR with its logistical needs, all the fuel requirements and part of the medical equipment, food and material for war reinforcement. Up until the "battle of the two rivers" everything had gone according to the agreements, but during the transfer towards the Dnepr the fuel supply had been halved. Mindful of the thousands of cases of frostbite among troops in Albania and Greece that Messe had witnessed, and probably rightly expecting little help from his German allies for his men against the Russian winter, he hired Romanian "traffickers", activated experienced NCOs from the Subsistence Department and purchased horses, carts, sleds, furs and a few motor vehicles on the black market in Kingdom of Romania.

On 6 September, General Mario Marazzani's 3rd Celere Division finally reached the "Pasubio" in front of the Dnepr and the "Torino" arrived the following week, after having marched uninterruptedly for 1,300 kilometres. Finally reunited, the CSIR took up positions along the Front, on a stretch of about 100 kilometres from the confluence of the Vorskla to the Dnepropetrovsk bridgehead, which was later extended by another 50 kilometres south of the city.

The Italian Commands' fears of having to participate in out-of-range actions materialised on 15 September when the CSIR, with all three Divisions deployed on the Dnepr, was assigned to the Rear Command of Army Group South to defend a broad front on the western bank of the river. But only five days later the CSIR returned under the command of the von Kleist armoured group and, between 28 and 30 September, had the opportunity to carry out its first autonomous war operation, which went down in history as the "Petrikovka manoeuvre". After crossing the Dnieper , the German armoured corps had the task of reaching the coast of the Sea of Azov from the south, and then advancing eastwards and conquering Rostov-on-Don and the Donbass, an important centre for the Soviet war industry. Also in this situation the CSIR was charged with covering the left flank of the large unit, but at the same time it was foreseen that the Italian units and the units of the German XLIX Mountain Corps would actively participate in the offensive in the Donbass. The units were strongly hampered by heavy rains and by the ground transformed into muddy swamps (a phenomenon known as rasputiza), which slowed down the march of the infantry and the motorised supply columns. Furthermore, the progressive displacement of the logistical bases, combined with the difficulties created by a weak railway network with a gauge different from the European.

Since the Germans had given the Italians the order to advance towards the important railway centre of Stalino, on 4 October the "Celere" and the "Pasubio" were the first to move, preceded in the vanguard by the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment and the "Lancieri di Novara" Regiment. The "Torino" closed the formation, always marching. On the 9th, having eliminated the Uljanovka bridgehead, the CSIR reached the Volčja river as the first snow fell and the following day the Bersaglieri and the men of the 63rd "Tagliamento" Legion, together with German units, suppressed the Pavlograd bridgehead. On 20 October the Bersaglieri then occupied the steel centre of Stalino and at the same time, descending from the north, the "Pasubio" opened its way towards the city fighting against aggressive Soviet motorised troops. The operation ended on 29 October, but in the first half of November the Italians were again engaged in the occupation of Rikovo, Gorlovka and Nikitovka, industrial centres fiercely defended by the Soviets. Giovanni Messe led all these actions in coordination with the German allies.

The CSIR meanwhile began to consolidate its positions, despite the tenacious resistance of the Red Army, to ensure the integrity of the internal flanks of the 17th Army and the German 1st Panzer Army; finally the Italian expeditionary force launched some attacks near Chazepetovka in conditions of inferiority between 6 and 14 December. The Italians, led by Messe (in particular the "Torino"), faced the 95th Guards Regiment, a special formation of the NKVD , as well as squadrons of Cossack cavalry and battalions of Siberian infantry. At the end of the fighting, which cost the CSIR 135 dead and more than 500 wounded, the Italians nevertheless managed to occupy a rather advantageous sickle-shaped advanced line between Debal'cevo and Rassypnoe.

While the CSIR was setting up its operational base at Stalino, Messe had the Italian engineers prepare their occupation zone with barracks and defensive works in anticipation of the harsh winter. On 8 December the German High Command announced that all operations on the Eastern Front were temporarily suspended. The Red Army used the opportunity to launch a violent counter-offensive along the entire front, forcing the German troops to retreat by about 200 kilometres in the central sector, while in the southern sector it led to the recapture of Rostov. The front area held by the Italian forces was not involved in the offensive. However, at dawn on 25 December, the Soviets invested the CSIR with three divisions, a cavalry corps and the support of artillery and tanks the Italians, supported by two German regiments, resisted tenaciously and Messe maintained control of the situation, making the best use of the German tanks sent to assist; The "Christmas Battle" lasted until 31 December and hit the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment and the "Tagliamento" Legion head-on. A battalion of Bersaglieri was surrounded for ten hours before managing to retreat. The CSIR, however, managed to reorganise and between 26 and 28 December the "Pasubio" and "Celere" divisions, together with a regiment and a formation of German panzers, launched a counter-offensive, which allowed them to regain the positions lost during the Soviet Christmas attack (the battle cost 168 dead, 715 wounded and almost 210 missing) and consequently Stalino remained in Axis hands.

With this clash, the first operational phase of the Italian Expeditionary Force on the Eastern Front ended and the men prepared to face the winter in the best possible way. The units overcame it quite well, thanks above all to the bitter experience gained during the war on the Greek-Albanian front, which led Messe and the lower commands to fill the gaps by purchasing winter clothing from the Romanian and Hungarian armies suitable clothing was also bought on the black market. Finally, the CSIR benefited from the exclusion, due to the lack of motorized and armored vehicles, from the large-scale maneuvers that were under the sole responsibility of the Germans. More extensive operations took place in the Izium region (100 kilometers north of Gorlovka), where the Italian command met the pressing German requests only between January and June 1942, when hastily assembled tactical combat groups were sent there to guarantee the safety of the rear areas and to carry out negligible combat missions for defensive and offensive purposes.

The Italian divisions were inferior to the German ones in terms of firepower, mobility and communication; the level of training of the non-commissioned officers and the troops left much to be desired compared to the German average and the officers were not accustomed to the command methods employed by the Germans. However, observing the first year of the CSIR war in Russia, the Kriegsmarine general staff noted, "In the Russian theatre three [Italian] divisions are employed which are fighting in a commendable manner". The good performance offered by the Italian forces was also due to Messe who was able to motivate the troops and at the same time managed to be inflexible towards subordinates who did not meet his expectations, receiving recognition for this also from the German command.

During the winter Messe worked to ensure that the Expeditionary Force was able to maintain the position it had conquered at all costs, insisting that it be reorganised so as to be able to participate successfully in the offensives of 1942. What worried the general was not so much the numerical increase of his troops, but rather the improvement of their combat efficiency: they needed heavy artillery, motor vehicles, tanks and anti-tank weapons. Two fresh divisions (possibly Alpine) were to replace the most worn out ones, to then be reorganised into large motorised units capable of moving rapidly when operations resumed. The precarious situation at the front, however, did not even allow the replacement of the 3rd "Celere" Division (the most weakened) and furthermore what Messe had requested was difficult to find at home, not to mention the problems linked to transport. In the spring of 1942 the "Celere" was converted into a motorized division, its cavalry regiments were united in a mounted grouping, the troops directly dependent on the Army Corps Command were strengthened by a battalion of selected Alpine troops and the losses suffered were replaced by draining men from the two motorized divisions. The Italian supreme command then opted for a compromise between the pressing requests for supplies made by Messe and the needs arising from Mussolini's decision to significantly increase the military commitment in Russia.

The Alpini Battalion "L'Aquila" passes in front of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rovenky during its march toward the Don.

In July 1942 the CSIR was renamed the XXXV Army Corps and placed within the ARMIR (Italian Army in Russia); Messe retained command of the XXXV Corps until November 1942, when differences of opinion with the army commander, General Italo Gariboldi, led him to request repatriation.

The transition from CSIR to ARMIR saw Messe at the center of two related but distinct issues of some importance: the first was the appointment of Gariboldi, rather than Messe, as commander of the Army. The second was Messe's strong opposition to the expansion of the expedition. Regarding the nomination of Gariboldi, Messe initially appeared to be the most suitable officer to take on that command, due to his military capabilities and his recently acquired experience. But the choice fell on Gariboldi, officially because he had "one more star", as a general of the Army Corps with Special Duties (while Messe was GCA and also recently appointed) however, according to what Ciano wrote more prosaically in his diaries, "Cavallero wanted to nominate him to block the way of Messe who was starting to grow too much in the consideration of the Duce and of the country. Cavallero is a faithful follower of the theory that teaches the decapitation of the too tall poppies."

With regards to Messe's strategic assessments, Sergio Romano reports that when Mussolini imposed the strengthening of the CSIR and its transformation into ARMIR, Messe expressed himself critically, judging it a serious mistake to send an Army Corps to that front with "such few four-wheeled vehicles". According to Arrigo Petacco, Messe went to Rome in March 1942 to invoke that the number of men employed should not be increased to 200,000, but that it should remain at two divisions (60,000 men), limiting itself to alternating the Turin and Pasubio divisions, which were by then exhausted; Cavallero objected, the writer reports, that it was now too late and that the Duce had already made his decision.

See also: First Defensive Battle of Don

Messe then remained at the head of his men until the first defensive battle of the Don in August 1942 where, following the rout of the "Sforzesca" Division, he organised a counterattack to cover its retreat while the courageous charges of the Italian cavalry regiments, in particular the action of the Savoia Cavalleria at Isbuscenskij, achieved the result of disorganising some Soviet rifle battalions and slowing down the enemy concentration in the Serafimovič bridgehead. When between 24 and 26 August the Italian situation seemed to worsen, the Command of Army Group B decided to entrust the direction of the operations to the German general Hollidt, commander of the 17th Corps, to whom the divisions of the Italian XXXV Army Corps were also subjected. This decision immediately raised protests from General Messe and was withdrawn after 48 hours, following much controversy and recrimination between the two sides. Furthermore, Messe, deeply irritated by the German behaviour and also because of the disagreements with General Gariboldi, asked for and obtained a recall to his homeland and therefore left the command of the XXXV Army Corps.

Tunisia and captivity

Main articles: Tunisia Campaign and Operation Strike

Messe surrenders to Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg and Major General Douglas Graham on 13 May 1943

Having returned to Italy at the end of 1942, he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army, and on 23 January 1943 appointed as head of the 1st Army in Tunisia, which was engaged, under Rommel's command , in the Tunisian campaign and he assumed command in February 1943. Ciano reports a conversation he had with Messe the day after the appointment, in which the General would have defined the new role as that of "Commander of the stragglers", complaining about a new "left-handed move" by Cavallero who would have sent him to collect a certain loss, also of his reputation, and perhaps end up prisoner. He was also formally appointed Governor General of Libya, although the English had entered Tripoli that same day.

Messe nevertheless expertly managed to delay the defeat of the Italian-German troops in North Africa, forcing the enemy to defend themselves in the battle of Medenine. After the fall of the German Fifth Army, Messe, although surrounded, resisted, responding to the calls for surrender that he would surrender only if his troops were granted the honours of war; moreover, he communicated that he would not surrender to the French, but only to the British Eighth Army (since the treatment of prisoners by the French was considered inhumane).

With the devastating capitulation of von Arnim , commander of the Italian-German forces in the Tunisian campaign, an unpredictable stalemate was created in which the Italian troops resisted without much prospect, surrounded by allied troops of many contingents, waiting for the concession of the honours of war that their adversaries did not grant. The situation was resolved by Mussolini who on 12 May 1943 telegraphed to Messe,"Cease the fighting. You are appointed Marshal of Italy. Honour to you and your brave men." The following day, 13 May, the Italian troops surrendered and Messe was taken prisoner by the New Zealand General Bernard Freyberg.

An exchange of words is known about the meeting between Messe and Freyberg, reported by Paolo Colacicchi, the official interpreter, and taken up by many sources :

Freyberg : "Is the Marshal a Fascist?"
Giovanni Messe (very calm): "Of course."
Freyberg (surprised): "Of course ? Why?"
Giovanni Messe: "Because the King I have the honor of serving accepts a fascist head of government. If my King accepts it, naturally I accept it too."
Freyberg : "We British are determined to eliminate Fascism from the face of the Earth. We are as determined, naturally, or perhaps more so, than you, Marshal. Now it is my task to lead you to General Montgomery. Please follow me."

Having brought Messe (together with his Chief of Staff, General Mancinelli) before Montgomery, the latter, who hoped to have captured Rommel, when he saw him asked, "Who is this?", after which he disappeared without saying goodbye. After an initial argument, Montgomery invited Messe into his room. There he added a sentence that filled Messe with pride:, "If I had known that from Mareth onwards I had you in front of me, I would have obtained your photograph".

Giovanni Messe and other important officers were arrested and taken to a villa, Camp No. 4, in Wilton Park , England, managed by the secret service. Here they were directly interrogated and urged to talk, their conversations were recorded to verify their state of mind in order to select the soldiers to be sent back to Italy under the orders of the Allies.

Post-armistice

As a loyal supporter of the Royalist cause, like many Italian officers Messe soon found himself re-employed, when after the Italian armistice in September 1943, he was made chief of staff of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army (Esercito Cobelligerante Italiano), consisting of those units loyal to King Victor Emmanuel, many of which were reconstituted from Italian POWs and armed by the Allies. He served in this post with distinction until the war's end and then retired from the military in 1947 after 46 years of distinguished service.

Life after the army

Giovanni Messe in 1953

After the war, Messe was one of the founders of "Armata Italiana della Libertà" (Italian Army of Liberty), an anti-Communist paramilitary that was joined by some fifty generals and admirals. In 1953 he was elected senator of the Republic, as an independent on the Christian Democracy list, in the Brindisi constituency. After leaving the DC, in March 1955 he founded the Italian Combatants' Union, following Achille Lauro in 1956 in the parliamentary group of the Popular Monarchist Party until the end of the legislature. Giovanni Messe died on 18 December 1968, at the age of eighty-five.

Works

• Messe, Giovanni (2004). La mia armata in Tunisia: Come finì la guerra in Africa (in Italian). Milan: Mursia. ISBN 88-425-3256-8.

• Messe, Giovanni (2005). La guerra al fronte russo (in Italian). Milan: Mursia. ISBN 88-425-3348-3.

• Messe, Giovanni (2016). La guerra italo-turca (1911–1912): Diario (in Italian). Milan: Mursia.

Honours and awards

Italian honours

• Order of Military Savoy
  • Grand Officer (8 May 1943)
  • Commander – As commander of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, under extremely difficult logistical and terrain conditions, he led his troops in numerous hard and consistently victorious engagements against a determined and well-equipped enemy. Through outstanding leadership and personal courage, overcoming severe climatic hardships and numerical inferiority with iron determination, he repelled every enemy counter-offensive and secured possession of important captured positions. He thus provided a further brilliant demonstration of the physical qualities, indomitable courage, and unsurpassed spirit of sacrifice of the Italian soldier. Southern Ukraine (Dnipropetrovsk–Stalino), August 1941 – March 1942. Awarded by Royal Decree, 14 March 1942.
  • Officer (21 September 1939)
  • Knight (9 February 1919)
• Knight of the Order of Vittorio Veneto
• Silver Medal of Military Valor – For several days he exposed himself wherever the danger was greatest and, by word and example, kept his battalion steadfast under prolonged and intense enemy bombardment, holding a difficult position by means of timely counter-attacks despite repeated enemy attempts to recapture it. Grazigna, 21–23 May 1917.
• Bronze Medal of Military Valor – In repeated engagements he commanded his platoon with intelligence and courage. Messri, 13 November 1911 – Zanzur, 8 June 1912.
• Bronze Medal of Military Valor – At the head of his battalion he surprised and captured a strong enemy position in broad daylight, holding it despite heavy bombardment and repeated counter-attacks. A few days later he carried out a hazardous reconnaissance beyond the Italian lines, during which he was wounded. He left his position only upon explicit orders from his superiors. A constant example to his soldiers of daring, courage, composure, and calm contempt for danger. Monte San Gabriele – Veliki Krib, 1–2 October 1917.
• War Cross for Military Valor – Entrusted with the capture of an important position, during the changing fortunes of a bitter battle he maintained firm command of his assault troops, displaying courage and disregard for danger. Maj and Sturos (Albania), 19 June 1920.
• War Merit Cross (three awards)
• Commemorative Medal of the China Campaign
• Commemorative Medal of the Italo-Turkish War
• Commemorative Medal of the Albanian Expedition
• Commemorative Medal of the African Campaigns (1882–1935)
• Commemorative Medal for Military Operations in East Africa (1935–1936)
• Commemorative Medal of the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918 (four years of campaign)
• Commemorative Medal of the Unification of Italy
• Italian Inter-Allied Victory Medal
• Promotion for War Merit to Lieutenant Colonel (with seniority from October 1918), while serving as Major, 9th Assault Unit.
• Promotion for War Merit to Lieutenant General (General of Army Corps) by Royal Decree of 25 June 1941. Assuming command of a major formation in a critical situation after it had already suffered severe losses, he restored its fighting strength and morale, halting the enemy's drive against one of Albania's most important naval bases. He rapidly organized a solid defensive line on which his corps, inspired by his leadership, withstood repeated fierce attacks. After gradually breaking the enemy's offensive capability, he launched a counter-offensive, pursuing the enemy until its complete collapse. Valona – Shushicë Valley – Kalamas, 21 December 1940 – 23 April 1941.

Foreign honours

• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Germany), 23 January 1942.

Legacy

Some prominent figures in the command structure of the Italian Army have not been recognized enough. The only notable and distinguished among them is Giovanni Messe whose life was studied in detail by Schlemmer. Schlemmer bring the known facts about Messe's career and the relationship with the regime, but did not explore t in full. Schlemmer also supposes that Messe was a success in the "battle for interpretation" than any of the battles fought by him in World War II. In 2006 the Military Personnel Management Centre in Rome was named after him.

Sources

• Carli, Mario (1919). Noi arditi (in Italian). Milan: Facchi.
• Scianna, Bastian Matteo (2019). The Italian War on the Eastern Front, 1941–1943: Operations, Myths and Memories. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-030-26523-6.
• Esercito (1918). The Battle of the Piave, June 15–23, 1918. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army War College.

• Colacicchi, Paolo (1977). L'ultimo fronte d'Africa. Tunisia: novembre 1942-maggio 1943. Mursia. ISBN 88-425-4125-7.
• Petacco, Arrigo (2015) [1998]. L'armata scomparsa. Milan: Mondadori. ISBN 978-88-04-59587-8.
• Schlemmer, Thomas (2009). Invasori, non vittime - La campagna italiana di Russia 1941-1943. Bari: Laterza. ISBN 978-88-420-7981-1.
• Valori, Aldo (1951). La campagna di Russia. Rome: Grafica Nazionale Editrice.
• Bocca, Giorgio (1996). Storia d'Italia nella guerra fascista 1940-1943. Milan: Mondadori. ISBN 88-04-41214-3.
• Rochat, Giorgio (2008). Le guerre italiane 1935-1943. Milan: Einaudi. ISBN 978-88-06-19168-9.
• Heefner, Wilson A. (2010). Dogface Soldier: The Life of General Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. The American Military Experience. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-82621-882-7.
• Rolf, David (2015). The Bloody Road to Tunis: Destruction of the Axis Forces in North Africa, November 1942 – May 1943. London: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84-832783-2.
• Kaufman, Isidor (1947). The Story of 550,000 Fighters for Freedom (2 volumes). American Jews in World War II. Vol. I. New York: Dial Press. OCLC 1318263 – via Archive Foundation.
• Montanelli, Indro; Cervi, Mario (2011). Storia d'Italia. Vol. 14: L'Italia della disfatta (10 giugno 1940-8 settembre 1943). Milan: BUR. ISBN 978-88-586-4300-6.

Further reading

• Crociani, Piero (2009). "MESSE, Giovanni". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (in Italian). Vol. 73: Meda–Messadaglia. Rome: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana. ISBN 978-88-12-00032-6.
• Schlemmer, Thomas (2008). "Giovanni Messe: Ein italienischer General zwischen Koalitions- und Befreiungskrieg". Von Feldherren und Gefreiten (in German). pp. 33–44. doi:10.1524/9783486708264.33. ISBN 9783486581447. OCLC 191658382.