Giuseppe Pennella (1864-1925) was an Italian
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 ...
who was a highly decorated officer of 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 ...
. 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 ...
, he held very high positions, commanding in succession: the
"Grenadiers of Sardinia" Brigade, 35th Division, XI Army Corps,
2nd Army,
8th Army and XII Army Corps. At the head of the 35th Division, he operated in the
Macedonian front
The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germa ...
, but was relieved of command at the request of the French general
Sarrail, who was commander of the
Armée d'Orient, as both had a strong disagreement over command.
Biography
He was born in
Rionero in Vulture
Rionero in Vulture () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture in the northern part of the region. The village was founded and historically inh ...
on August 8, 1864, the son of Antonio and Maddalena Plastino. He left his hometown at the age of 13 to enter the
Nunziatella Military School
The Nunziatella Military School of Naples, Italy, founded November 18, 1787 under the name of ''Royal Military Academy'' (it.: ), is the oldest Italian institution of military education among those still operating after the Military Academy of Mode ...
in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
and graduated in 1882 to attend the
Military Academy of Modena
The Military Academy of Modena () is a military university in Modena, northern Italy. Located in the Ducal Palace of Modena in the historic center of the city, it was the first such military institution to be created in the world.
The academy i ...
, where he was made a second lieutenant. He subsequently attended the , ranking second out of 30, and was appointed Chief of Staff.
Between 1894 and 1899 and in 1902, he carried out accurate surveys of the areas of
San Gottardo,
Haute Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva; to the south and southeast are Mont Blanc and the Aravis mo ...
, the
Ligurian Apennines
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains ( ; or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; or – a singular with plural meaning; )Latin ''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which would be segmented ''Apenn-inus'', often used with nouns s ...
, the
Jura and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
. With the outbreak of the First World War, he was promoted to colonel, and in May 1915,
[Luigi Cadorna, The war on the Italian front. Vol. 1 , Milan, Fratelli Treves publishers, 1921] with the approach of
Italy's entry into the war[Alberto Cavaciocchi, Andrea Ungari, ''Italians at War'', Milan, Ugo Mursia Editore srl, 2014. p. 33, May 4, 1915] he became head of the secretarial office
of the Chief of Staff of the Royal Italian Army of General
Luigi Cadorna
Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian people, Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914 until 1917 during World War I ...
. In November of that year, he obtained command of the
"Granatieri di Sardegna" Brigade, replacing General
Luigi Pirzio Biroli
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
. The grenadiers under his orders distinguished themselves at "Altitude 188",
in front of Gorizia, and then in the defense of
Monte Cengio
Monte Cengio is a mountain in the Asiago plateau, within the Vicentine Alps, in Veneto, northeastern Italy. It has an elevation of 1,354 metres and is located on the southwestern edge of the plateau, in the territory of Cogollo del Cengio.
The ...
,
during the very hard and bloody
Battle of Asiago
The Südtirol Offensive, also known as the Battle of Asiago or Battle of the Plateaux (in Italian: Battaglia degli Altipiani), wrongly nicknamed ''Strafexpedition'' "Punitive expedition" (this name has no reference in official Austrian document ...
on June 3, 1916. After participating in the
Sixth (August 6–17),
and
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo
The Seventh Battle of the Isonzo was fought from September 14–17, 1916 between the armies of the Kingdom of Italy and those of Austria-Hungary. It followed the Italian successes during the Trentino Offensive and the Sixth Battle of the Isonz ...
from September 14 to 18,
on December 4. he transferred command of the brigade to Colonel Brigadier
Giovanni Albertazzi, and on September 21, he assumed the post of Chief of Staff of the 4th Army, cooperating in the defense of
and the defensive actions of the Fasso Alps, to then move on to that of the
3rd Army.
Between April 26 and May 24, 1917, he was commander of the 35th Division
and at the same time of the
Allied Army of the Orient upright=1.1, Allied collaboration: an Italian captain, a Russian lieutenant, a Serb colonel, a French lieutenant, and a Greek gendarme
The Allied Army of the Orient (AAO) () was the name of the unified command over the multi-national allied armed f ...
, replacing General
Carlo Petitti di Roreto, but came into conflict with the French general
Maurice Sarrail
Maurice Paul Emmanuel Sarrail (6 April 1856 – 23 March 1929) was a French general of the First World War. Sarrail's openly socialist political connections made him a rarity amongst the Catholics, conservatives and monarchists who dominated the ...
, commander of the ''
Armée d 'Orient'' and was removed from office by Cadorna. He distinguished himself on the Balkan front and was awarded the Commander's Cross of the
Order of the Star of the Karađorđević
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* H ...
. In October of the same year, he was appointed commander of the 11th Army Corps, to pass on March 1, 1918, on the decision of the new Chief of Staff
Armando Diaz
Armando Diaz, 1st Duke della Vittoria, (5 December 1861 – 28 February 1928) was an Italian general and a Marshal of Italy. He is mostly known for his role as Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito during World War I from November 1917. He ...
, at the head of the 2nd Army
which left on June 1 to take over that of the 8th Army
of Montello.
He took part in the Solstice Battle, at the end of which, under pressure from the Deputy Chief of Staff, General
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino ( , ; 28 September 1871 – 1 November 1956), was an Italian general during both World Wars and the first viceroy of Italian East Africa. With the fall of the Fascist regim ...
, Diaz removed him from command, replacing him with General
Enrico Caviglia
Enrico Caviglia (4 May 1862 – 22 March 1945) was a distinguished officer in the Italian Army. Victorious on the bloody battlefields of the First World War, Great War, notably the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, he rose in time to the highest rank ...
. He took part in the
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...
at the head of the XII Army Corps
advancing on the Altopiano dei Sette Comuni, freed
Pergine Valsugana
Here is the translation into English:
**Pergine Valsugana** (/ˈpɛrʤine valsuˈgana/; "Pèrzen" or "Pèrzem" in Trentino dialect, "Persn" in Mochena language) is an Italian municipality with 21,641 inhabitants in the province of Trento, the th ...
, avoiding atrocities committed in other places during the Austro-Hungarian retreat. At the end of the conflict he had been wounded five times, twice promoted for war merits, and highly decorated for military valor with three silver medals and one in bronze for military valor, the Knight's Cross, and then that of Commander of the Military Order of Savoy and the War Merit Cross.
In 1919 he was designated by the Italian government to command a force of 85,000 men who would have had to intervene in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
in order to maintain the independence of the new Caucasian countries from the aims of the nascent
Soviet Union
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 ...
but this expedition was not carried out.
He then assumed command of the Army Corps of Florence and also held the position of president of the Florentine Provincial Deputation, being placed in reserve in 1920. After obtaining various decorations, he died in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
in 1925.
Legacy
Commissioned by a committee chaired by
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
,
Armando Diaz
Armando Diaz, 1st Duke della Vittoria, (5 December 1861 – 28 February 1928) was an Italian general and a Marshal of Italy. He is mostly known for his role as Chief of Staff of the Regio Esercito during World War I from November 1917. He ...
,
Luigi Cadorna
Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian people, Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914 until 1917 during World War I ...
and other civil and military personalities, his native town of Rionero in Vulture erected a bronze statue dedicated to him. In June 1968, on the fiftieth anniversary of the
Second Battle of the Piave River
The Second Battle of the Piave River (or Battle of the Solstice), fought between 15 and 23 June 1918, was a decisive victory for the Italian Army against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I, as Italy was part of the Allied Forces, whi ...
, the municipality of
Pergine Valsugana
Here is the translation into English:
**Pergine Valsugana** (/ˈpɛrʤine valsuˈgana/; "Pèrzen" or "Pèrzem" in Trentino dialect, "Persn" in Mochena language) is an Italian municipality with 21,641 inhabitants in the province of Trento, the th ...
conferred honorary citizenship on him and dedicated the main street to him;
in
Giavera del Montello
Giavera del Montello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso.
Giavera del Montello borders the following municipalities: Arcade, Ner ...
a monument was erected in his honor by the sculptor Memo Botter.
Awards
*
Military Order of Savoy
The Military Order of Savoy was a military honorary order of the Kingdom of Sardinia first, and of the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946), Kingdom of Italy later. Following the abolition of the Italian monarchy, the order became the Military Order of ...
, Knight (December 28, 1916)
*Military Order of Savoy, Commander (February 24, 1918)
*
Medal of Military Valor
The Medal of Military Valor (Italian language: ''Medaglia al valor militare'') is an Italian medal, originally established as a Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinian award. It is awarded to military personnel, units above the level of Company (milita ...
, Silver (Awarded Three times: August 9–15, 1916, May 29 – June 3, 1916 and September 14–15, 1916)
*Medal of Military Valor, Bronze (November 1–4, 1918)
*
*
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...
*
Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918
The Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918 is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Kingdom of Italy for participation in World War I.
History
The medal was established by Royal Decree Of Victor Emmanuel III No. 1 241 of ...
*
Commemorative Medal of the Unity of Italy
The Italian Risorgimento was celebrated by a series of medals set up by the three kings who ruled during the long process of unification – the Commemorative Medal for the Campaigns of the War of Independence and the various versions of the Com ...
*
Allied Victory Medal
*
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...
, Commander
*
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...
, Commander
Foreign Awards
*:
Croix de guerre 1914–1918
Croix (French for "cross") may refer to:
Belgium
* Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut
France
* Croix, Nord, in the Nord department
* Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...
*:
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, Commander
*:
Order of Karađorđe's Star
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* ...
, Commander
*:
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
, Commander
Works
*''Comparative study of the exercise regulations for the infantry in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France (Reg. In force and projected), Russia and Austria'', Italian publishing house, Rome, 1902.
*''The urgent question: the problem of paintings in the Royal Army'', Italian publishing house, Rome, 1902.
*''The new regulation of exercises for the infantry: commented and compared to the one in force up to now'', Italian publishing house, Rome, 1905
*''The land of the region including the surroundings of Florence: geographic and topographical tactical study'', Italian publishing house, Rome, 1905
*''Essays on applied tactics for minor departments of the three weapons'', 3 Vol., Italian publishing house, Rome, 1907–1908.
*''Today's machine guns in field warfare'', La Speranza, Rome, 1908.
*''The combatant officer's vademecum'', Rome, 1909.
*''The vademecum of the complement officer: complete summary of the ministerial programs of: tactics and service in war, fortification, topography and staffing, complementary notions'', Tipografia del Senato, Rome, 1915.
*''The breviary of the duties of a war platoon commander'', Tipografia del Senato, Rome, 1915.
*''Our renewed tactical-logistic regulation summarized and ordered by topic affinity'', La Speranza, Rome, 1915.
*''Twelve months under the command of the Grenadier Brigade'', 2 Vol., Printing house of the Senate, Rome, 1923.
References
Bibliography
*Luigi Cadorna, ''The war on the Italian front''. Vol. 2, Milan,
Fratelli Treves editori
Fratelli Treves was an Italian publishing house based in Milan. Founded in 1861 by Emilio Treves from Trieste, it was active under its own name until 1939.
History
The publishing house was born on 1 January 1861 with the name of the founder: Em ...
, 1921.
*Francesco Saverio Nitti, ''Political writings''. Volume 7, Bari, Laterza, 1967.
*Memo Botter, ''General Giuseppe Pennella on the centenary of his birth'', Treviso, Tip. D. Cappellazzo, 1964.
*Pompilio Schiarini, ''The Austrian offensive in Trentino (1916)'', Rome, Libreria del Littorio, 1929.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pennella, Giuseppe
1864 births
1925 deaths
Italian Army generals
Knights of the Military Order of Savoy
Italian military personnel of World War I
People from Rionero in Vulture
Recipients of the Silver Medal of Military Valor
Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor
Commanders of the Military Order of Savoy
Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Commanders of the Legion of Honour
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
Nunziatella Military School alumni