Giacomo Carboni
Encyclopedia
Giacomo Carboni was an Italian general who was the commander of Corpo d'armata motocorazzato deployed around Rome in the early days of September 1943.
he joined the Modena Military Academy where he was commissioned Sottotenente. Then he fought in the Libyan war
. During World War I
he was an officer of the Alpini
. In 1936–37 he was commander of the 81st infantry regiment during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
, in 1939 he was Vice Commander of Cacciatori delle Alpi division
. From September 1939 to June 1940 he was the chief of SIM
. As chief of the Italian military secret service he wrote a series of reports to Mussolini
wherein the Italian preparation to the war was described as inadequate. Carboni was dismissed from his post at SIM and was made commander of the Modena Military Academy. For a brief time he was also chief of the 20 Infantry Division Friuli
and led an army corps in the Italian occupation of Corsica
.
named Carboni as head of the Corpo d'armata motocorazzato in charge of the defense of Rome against the Germans
and he cooperated in the overthrow of Mussolini. In the days between 2 July and 8 September he was also named head of the SIM again and he ordered the arrest of many fascists loyal to Mussolini.
In the night of 7 September he hosted US general Maxwell D. Taylor
and declared to the US counterpart his impossibility to defend Rome against the Germans due to the weakness of Italian Forces. Despite the fact that the divisions in his command were the most modern and largely superior in numbers in the night of 8 September he did not attack the German forces and in the morning of the 9 September Carboni left his post as commander of the army corps and tried to reach the group around king Victor Emmanuel III and Pietro Badoglio
. In the late hours of the 9 September he returned to Rome but his command was ineffective.
After the liberation of Rome he was under investigation for his role in the failed defence of Rome but he was acquitted.
Life and career
Born in Reggio EmiliaReggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
he joined the Modena Military Academy where he was commissioned Sottotenente. Then he fought in the Libyan war
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was an officer of the Alpini
Alpini
The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
. In 1936–37 he was commander of the 81st infantry regiment during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
, in 1939 he was Vice Commander of Cacciatori delle Alpi division
22 Infantry Division Cacciatori delle Alpi
The 22 Infantry Division Cacciatori delle Alpi was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cacciatori delle Alpi was mobilized for war in June 1939, and as part of the Italian 1st Army took part in the Italian invasion of France. It then took part in the Greco-Italian War...
. From September 1939 to June 1940 he was the chief of SIM
Servizio Informazioni Militari
The Italian Military Intelligence Service was the military intelligence organization for the Royal Army of the Kingdom of Italy from 1900 until 1946, and of the Republic of Italy until 1949...
. As chief of the Italian military secret service he wrote a series of reports to Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
wherein the Italian preparation to the war was described as inadequate. Carboni was dismissed from his post at SIM and was made commander of the Modena Military Academy. For a brief time he was also chief of the 20 Infantry Division Friuli
20 Infantry Division Friuli
The 20th Infantry Division Friuli was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II.- History :The 20th Infantry Division Friuli was formed in 1939 by renaming the existing 20th Infantry Division Curtatone e Montanara...
and led an army corps in the Italian occupation of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
.
Role in 1943
In the eve of the 25 July coup General AmbrosioVittorio Ambrosio
Vittorio Ambrosio was an Italian general who served in the Italo-Turkish War, World War I, and World War II...
named Carboni as head of the Corpo d'armata motocorazzato in charge of the defense of Rome against the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and he cooperated in the overthrow of Mussolini. In the days between 2 July and 8 September he was also named head of the SIM again and he ordered the arrest of many fascists loyal to Mussolini.
In the night of 7 September he hosted US general Maxwell D. Taylor
Maxwell D. Taylor
General Maxwell Davenport "Max" Taylor was an United States Army four star general and diplomat of the mid-20th century, who served as the fifth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after having been appointed by the President of the United States John F...
and declared to the US counterpart his impossibility to defend Rome against the Germans due to the weakness of Italian Forces. Despite the fact that the divisions in his command were the most modern and largely superior in numbers in the night of 8 September he did not attack the German forces and in the morning of the 9 September Carboni left his post as commander of the army corps and tried to reach the group around king Victor Emmanuel III and Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
. In the late hours of the 9 September he returned to Rome but his command was ineffective.
After the liberation of Rome he was under investigation for his role in the failed defence of Rome but he was acquitted.