Emilio Battisti (22 December 1889 in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

– 23 November 1971 in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

) was an Italian general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

He was born in Milan on 22 December 1889, the son of Silvio Battisti and Giuseppina Acconci. After enlisting in the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army () (RE) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfredo Fanti signed a decree c ...

he began to attend the Royal Academy of Infantry and Cavalry in

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

as an

officer cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...

, graduating in 1910 with the rank of second lieutenant in the

Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operati ...

corps. He was assigned to the "Vestone" Alpini Battalion of the

8th Alpini Regiment The 8th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Venzone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 ...

, and a few months later, in 1911, he left to fight in

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

during the

Italo-Turkish War The Italo-Turkish (, "Tripolitanian War", , "War of Libya"), also known as the Turco-Italian War, was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911 to 18 October 1912. As a result of this conflict, Italy captur ...

, earning two War Crosses for Military Valor. He remained in North Africa until 1913, when he was repatriated. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, he was commander of the 241st Company of the "Val Baltea" Alpini Battalion, under the 4th Alpini Regiment, at the head of which he conquered the

Corno di Cavento The Corno di Cavento is a mountain in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. It is located in the Province of Trento, between Val Rendena and Val di Fumo. Its summit was conquered for the first time by a young Bohemian climber, Julius von Payer, along ...

on 15 June 1917. After promotion to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in October of the same year, until the end of the war he was in the "Exilles" Alpini Battalion of the

3rd Alpini Regiment The 3rd Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Pinerolo in Piedmont. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". On 1 November 1 ...

. He participated in the fighting on the Mrzli, the Vodil, the

Adamello Adamello (in local dialect ''Adamèl'') is a mountain in Lombardy, Italy. With an elevation of , it is the second highest peak of the Adamello-Presanella Alps. It is located in Valcamonica, Lombardy (Province of Brescia). Its glacier, measured ...

, the Crozzon di Lares and the Lobbie, being decorated with a

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

(for the conquest of Corno di Cavento) and a

Bronze Medal of Military Valor The Bronze Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal for gallantry. It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on 26 March 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold Medal of Military Valor and Silver Medal of Military Valor, which were ...

.Andrea Bianchi, Gli Ordini militari di Savoia e d'Italia, p. 29 After the war he became one of the founding members of the

National Alpini Association The National Alpini Association () is an Italian association representing the "Alpini in congedo" (Alpini on leave) of the Italian Army. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World ...

, and in 1920 he was the first commander of the newly established "Trento" Alpini Battalion, stationed in

Gemona del Friuli Gemona del Friuli (; ; ; ) is a (municipality) in the Regional decentralization entity of Udine, in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine. The municipality of Gemona del F ...

. In January 1936, with the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and commander of the

7th Alpini Regiment The 7th Alpini Regiment () is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Belluno in Veneto. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 August 1887, the R ...

(part of the

5th Alpine Division Pusteria Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

), he left for

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

, where he participated in the conquest of Ethiopia. He distinguished himself in the course of war operations, being decorated with a second bronze medal for military valor for his role in the

battle of Maychew The Battle of Maychew () was the last major battle fought on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The battle consisted of a failed counterattack by the Ethiopian forces under Emperor Haile Selassie making frontal assaults ...

, and returning to Italy in 1937. In 1938 he volunteered to fight in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, where he assumed command, with the rank of colonel brigadier, of the "XXIII Marzo Fiamme Nere" Legionary Division of the

Corps of Volunteer Troops The Corps of Volunteer Troops () was a Fascist Italian expeditionary force of military volunteers, which was sent to Spain to support the Nationalist forces under General Francisco Franco against the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil ...

, and then of the

Flechas Verdes Division The Flechas Verdes Division was a division of the Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The name means "Green Arrows" in Spanish. It was created when the Flechas Azules Mixed Brigade was expanded into two division-sized units: the Fle ...

. By the end of the war, in 1939, he had been decorated with two more silver medals for military valor, and promoted to brigadier general for war merits. With the entry of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

into

, which took place on 10 June 1940, he was appointed Chief of Staff of

Army Group West An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...

, taking part in operations on the French front. Between 1 December 1940 and 9 March 1941 he was commander of the

49th Infantry Division Parma 49 (forty-nine) is the natural number following 48 and preceding 50. In mathematics Forty-nine is the square of the prime number seven and hence the fourth non-unitary square prime of the form ''p''2. Both of its digits are square numbers, 4 b ...

, fighting in the

Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian campaign in Greece, Italian invasion of Greece, and War of '40 in Greece, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. This conflict began the Balk ...

. In March 1941 he was appointed commander of the 4th Alpine Division Cuneense, also fighting on the

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

n front; on the following month the division participated in the

Axis invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was put forward in "Fü ...

, after which it was stationed in northern Albania until the spring of 1942, when it was repatriated in preparation for its transfer to the Eastern Front as part of the ARMIR. Battisti led the "Cuneense" during the fighting on the

Don river The Don () is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its basin is betwee ...

in the summer and autumn of 1942; when the Axis lines were breached by

Operation Little Saturn Operation Little Saturn () was a Red Army offensive on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in Don and Chir rivers region in German-occupied Soviet Union territory in 16–30 December 1942. The success of Operation Uranus, lau ...

during winter, and the ARMIR began its harrowing retreat through the steppe, he refused to be evacuated on a plane made available by the German command, choosing to share the fate of his Alpini. In the night between 26 and 27 January 1943 the divisional headquarters were encircled by

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

troops, and after the failure of every attempt to break through, all its members were taken prisoner. The "Cuneense" was completely annihilated in the retreat, with only 1,600 men out of 17,000 being able to escape the encirclement. Battisti was initially held in a Soviet

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

, where he was for some time a cellmate of German Field Marshal

Friedrich Paulus Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) during World War II who is best known for his surrender of the German 6th Army (Wehrmacht), 6th Army during the Battle ...

, and then in a

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

, for over seven years; he was only released in 1950, returning to Italy on 15 May that year, along with Generals Umberto Ricagno and Etelvoldo Pascolini and thirty South Tyrolean SS soldiers. He then returned to service within the postwar

Italian Army The Italian Army ( []) is the Army, land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China and Italo-Turkish War, Libya. It ...

, with the rank of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

; he was made commander of the 6th Territorial Military Command (''Comiliter'') and in 1952 he was appointed president of the Superior Council of the Armed Forces and commander of the 3rd Army Center in

. He retired on 22 December 1953, becoming Honorary President for life of the Bologna-

Romagna Romagna () is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. Etymology The name ''Romagna'' originates from the Latin name ''Romania'', which originally ...

section of the ANA. He was heavily involved in ANA activities until his death in Bologna on 23 November 1971. His funeral was celebrated by

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases, they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

Enelio Franzoni, who had also been a prisoner in Russia and had been awarded the

Gold Medal of Military Valor The Gold Medal of Military Valor () is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers. The face of the medal displayed the profile o ...

. In 1983 his remains were transferred to the Shrine to the fallen of the Cuneense Division, located on

Colle di Nava Colle di Nava at is a mountain pass in the Province of Imperia in Italy. It is located on the main chain of the Alps and connects Ormea and the Tanaro Valley (Province of Cuneo, CN) with Pieve di Teco and Imperia, the latter on the coast of Ligu ...

, as he had requested in his last wish.Andrea Bianchi, Gli Ordini militari di Savoia e d'Italia, p. 30

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battisti, Emilio 1889 births 1971 deaths Italian military personnel of World War I Italian military personnel of World War II Italian military personnel of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War Italian Army generals Italian prisoners of war in World War II Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor Military personnel from Milan World War II prisoners of war held by the Soviet Union People of the Greco-Italian War