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
Born2 November 1845 (1845-11-02)
Felizzano, Italy
Died22 September 1918 (1918-09-23) (aged 72)
Occupation(s)General, Minister of War

Life and career

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Nicola Labanca (2018). "Spingardi, Paolo Antonio". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 93. Treccani.
  2. ^ "Scheda senatore - Spingardi Paolo". Senato.it. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Bovio, Oreste (2000). Carabinieri in Piemonte: 1814-2000 (in Italian). Allemandi. ISBN 978-88-422-0987-4.

Further reading

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  • Saccoman, Andrea (2018). Paolo Spingardi: l'uomo e il soldato, 1845-1918 (in Italian). Impressioni grafiche. ISBN 978-88-6195-285-0.
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