Pietro Toselli (22 December 1856 – 7 December 1895) was a major 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 ...

. He is mainly known for his participation in the

First Italo-Ethiopian War The First Italo-Ethiopian War, also referred to as the First Italo-Abyssinian War, or simply known as the Abyssinian War in Italy (), was a military confrontation fought between Kingdom of Italy, Italy and Ethiopian Empire, Ethiopia from 1895 to ...

. He was born in

Peveragno Peveragno (''Poranh'' in Occitan, ''Povragn'' in Piedmontese) is an Italian town of 5,584 inhabitants (1-1-2017) in the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont. It belongs to the Union of Communes of the Maritime Alps and to the Occitan language Occi ...

in 1856, the youngest of three siblings. His father was Giovanni Maria Toselli, and his mother Teresa (Botasso) Toselli. His older brother Enrico Toselli was a noted psychiatrist and university professor. Pietro Toselli joined the army at a young age and was commissioned second lieutenant of

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

in 1878. After finishing the tree year curriculum for artillerymen he opted for additional training in military engineering. After finishing his education in 1880 he became a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. In 1887 he was promoted to

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 first came to Africa in 1888 to carry out topographical work in the new colony of

Italian Eritrea Italian Eritrea (, "Colony of Eritrea") was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in the territory of present-day Eritrea. The first Italian establishment in the area was the purchase of Assab by the Società di Navigazione Rubattino, Rubattino Shippin ...

. Returning to Italy he published the book ''Pro Africa italica'' under the pseudonym "Un Eritreo". In 1894 he returned to Italian Eritrea to take command of the 4th Askari Battalion of the Corpo Speciale per L'Africa. He led Italian forces to victory at the Battle of Halai on the 18 December 1894, when his troops defeated the Eritrean forces of Batha Agos, who were besieging the Italian fort at Halai. On the 13 January 1895, he commanded the 4th Askari Battalion at the

Battle of Coatit The Battle of Coatit was fought on 13 January 1895 between Italy and Ethiopian proxies led by Tigrayan Prince Ras Mengesha Yohannes in what is now Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa r ...

under the command of Oreste Baratieri. After the Ethiopian retreat Toselli, and the 4th Askari Battalion formed the Italian vanguard that caught up with the Ethiopian forces at the Battle of Senafe. When the

invaded

Tigray The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray; officially the Tigray National Regional State) is the northernmost Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob people, Irob and Kunama people. I ...

, Toselli was sent with 1,450 soldiers, 700 militiamen, and four cannons to occupy and fortify the forward position at Amba Alagi. On the 7 December 1895 the Battle of Amba Alagi began when the position came under attack by the troops of

Makonnen Wolde Mikael Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, ''Ras'' Makonnen Wolde Mikael Wolde Melekot (; 8 May 1852 – 21 March 1906), or simply Ras Makonnen, also known as Abba Qagnew (አባ ቃኘው), was an Ethiopian royal from Shewa, a military lead ...

. Due to a miscommunication with Major general Giuseppe Arimondi. Toselli believed Arimondi was moving south to reenforce him and chose to stand his ground. After several hours of fighting and being almost surrounded he gave the order for a general retreat. He led the retreating column north to Bet Mariam. Toselli was by then exhausted and could not move on with his men, he died from a gunshot wound near Bet-Mariam when the advancing Ethiopians reached his position. His body was returned to Italy two years after his death and he is buried in his hometown of

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toselli, Pietro 1856 births 1895 deaths Italian Army officers People from the Province of Cuneo People of former Italian colonies Italian military personnel killed in the First Italo-Ethiopian War