Mario Nicolis di Robilant (Torino, 28 April 1855 – Roma, 23 July 1943) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

who actively participated in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, mostly at the head of the Italian Fourth Army. At the entry of Italy in the First World War in May 1915, he commanded the Italian IV Army Corps, with which he conquered

Mount Nero Mount Nero () is a mountain (2,520 m) surmounting the west wall of Daniels Range 3 nautical miles (6 km) north of Forsythe Bluff, in the Usarp Mountains. Mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, ...

. In September 1915, he became commander of the Fourth Army, stationed in the

Cadore Cadore (; lld, Ciadòre; vec, italic=yes, Cadór or, rarely, ''Cadòria''; german: italic=yes, Cadober or ''Kadober''; Sappada German: ''Kadour'';

. At the height of the disastrous

Battle of Caporetto The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central ...

in the autumn of 1917, General

Luigi Cadorna Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914-1917 of World War I. Early career Luigi Cador ...

ordered him to retreat with his army and clear the Cadore. Unaware of the seriousness of the situation, Di Robilant hesitated to execute the order, resulting in the capture of 11,500 of his men by the forces of the German general

Otto von Below Otto Ernst Vinzent Leo von Below (18 January 1857 – 15 March 1944) served as a Prussian general officer in the Imperial German Army during the First World War (1914–1918). He arguably became most notable for his command, along with the Aust ...

. Di Robilant withdrew to the Mount Grappa massif, where he won the defensive battle of Mount Grappa. In February 1918, he became commander of the new Fifth Army. He ended the war as Italian military representative on the

Supreme War Council The Supreme War Council was a central command based in Versailles that coordinated the military strategy of the principal Allies of World War I: Britain, France, Italy, the US and Japan. It was founded in 1917 after the Russian revolution and w ...

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. After World War I ended in 1918, he commanded the Eighth Army for a brief time, then went into retirement at his own request. He became a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

in 1917.

References

Short Biography

Scheda del senatore Mario Nicolis di Robilant on the site of the Italian Senat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolis di Robilant, Mario Italian military personnel Italian generals 1855 births 1943 deaths Italian military personnel of World War I Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)