Count Paolo Antonio Spingardi (2 November 1845 - 22 September 1918) was an Italian General and politician, who served as Minister of War during the Italo-Turkish War and in the years ahead of World War I.
Paolo Spingardi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 November 1845 Felizzano, Italy |
| Died | 22 September 1918 (aged 72) Spigno Monferrato, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | General, Minister of War |
Life and career edit
Born in Felizzano, after attending the Military College of Modena Spingardi took part to the Third Italian War of Independence as a second lieutenant of grenadiers.[1] In 1874 he joined the Staff Officers Corps (SM), being appointed Commander of the Corps in 1876.[1]
In 1897 Spingardi started working as head of the General Secretariat of the Minister of War, becoming Director General of Administrative Services in 1898.[1] Deputy between 1904 and 1909 and Senator from 1909 till his death,[2] he was undersecretary of the war ministry between 1903 and 1905, and after a short experience as Commanding General of the Carabinieri Corps in 1909 he became Minister of War, a role he held until 1914 under four different cabinets.[1][3] During this time he supervised the Italo-Turkish War, was decorated with the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation and received the title of Count.[1][3]
During the World War I, Spingardi served for less than a month as territorial commander of the III army corps, in Milan, being exonerated after his measures against pacifist and interventionist demonstrations were deemed too weak by the government.[1] He was later nominated president of the central commission for the war prisoners.[1] Spingardi died on 22 September 1918, apparently ill with malaria he had been infected by some Austrian prisoners in Asinara.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nicola Labanca (2018). "Spingardi, Paolo Antonio". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 93. Treccani.
- ^ "Scheda senatore - Spingardi Paolo". Senato.it. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ a b Bovio, Oreste (2000). Carabinieri in Piemonte: 1814-2000 (in Italian). Allemandi. ISBN 978-88-422-0987-4.
Further reading edit
- Saccoman, Andrea (2018). Paolo Spingardi: l'uomo e il soldato, 1845-1918 (in Italian). Impressioni grafiche. ISBN 978-88-6195-285-0.