Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, was an 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. During this period, commanding the Italian army on the Alpine front and along the Isonzo river, he acquired a reputation for rigid discipline and the harsh treatment of his troops. Cadorna achieved successes in containing the Strafexpedition and capturing Gorizia but, following a major defeat at the Battle of Caporetto in late 1917, he was relieved as Chief of Staff.
Luigi Cadorna
General Cadorna visiting British batteries during World War I.
General Cadorna visiting Italian troops before the Second Battle of the Isonzo.
Marshal of Italy was a rank in the Royal Italian Army. Originally created in 1924 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for the purpose of honoring generals Luigi Cadorna and Armando Diaz, the rank was granted to several other general officers from 1926 to 1943. The rank was the highest in the Italian Army prior to the creation of the rank of First Marshal of the Empire in 1938. The rank of Marshal of Italy was abolished in 1946 with the creation of the Italian Republic. The equivalent Royal Navy rank was Grand admiral, while the equivalent Air Force rank was Marshal of the Air Force.
Image: Luigi Cadorna 02
Image: Armando Diaz 1921
Image: Amiral Paolo Thaon di Revel N53030881 JPEG 1 1DM (cropped)
Image: Duca d'Aosta