Luigi Mazzini

He was born in Mortara, province of Pavia, on 13 July 1883, son of Carlo Mazzini and Merope Spagna. After enlisting in the Royal Italian Army, on 5 September 1904 he entered the Royal Military Academy of Artillery and Engineers in Turin, from which he graduated with the rank of artillery second lieutenant.

He fought during the Italo-Turkish War, distinguishing himself during the battles of Ain Zara, Gargaresh and Zanzur, for which he was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.[1] During the Great War he distinguished himself during the Albanian campaign with the 1st Mixed Artillery Group of the 38th Division, earning a War Cross for Military Valor.[2]

He was promoted to colonel on 12 June 1933, and between 1 January 1934 and 24 September 1935 he was commander of the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia".[3] On 31 December 1935 he assumed command of the newly established 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria", with which he left to fight in the war in Ethiopia, where he received another Bronze Medal.[4][5] On 24 September 1937 he was replaced at the command of the 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment by Colonel Antonio Norcen, and returned to Italy.[6] On 20 December 1937 he was promoted to brigadier general, then assuming command of the School for Reserve Artillery Officers and from 1939 that of the artillery of the 1st Army Corps in Turin.[7]

When the Kingdom of Italy entered the Second World War on 10 June 1940, he was in command of the artillery of the 4th Army operating on the western Alpine front against France, remaining there until February 1941 and receiving another Bronze Medal.[8][9] In February 1941 he assumed command of the 33rd Infantry Division "Acqui", engaged on the Greek-Albanian front.[10][11][12][13][14] In April 1941, after the collapse of Greece, he oversaw the occupation of the Ionian Islands.[15][16][17] On 1 July 1941 he was promoted to major general.[18] On 24 October 1942 he was replaced in command of the "Acqui" by General Ernesto Chiminello, and assumed command of the 224th Coastal Division, established in January 1943 in Nice, in occupied France.[19] On 26 April he was assigned to the Ministry of War for special assignments, being attached to the Territorial Defence Command of Turin, and 12 July 1943 he was transferred to the Army reserve after having reached the age limits. He died on 1 May 1967.[20]