Ugo Cavallero and the honour of the Italian Army

Ugo Cavallero and the honour of the Italian Army
Ugo Cavallero e l’onore dell’Esercito italiano

Marshal Ugo Cavallero, Chief of Staff (December 1940-July 1943) and former CEO of the Pirelli Tyre Company, once told the Germans that ‘the acts of violence against the Jews were not compatible with the honour of the Italian Army’. After the armistice between Italy and the Allies (8.9.1943) he refused to collaborate with the Nazis/ Il Maresciallo Ugo Cavallero, Capo di stato maggiore (dicembre 1940-luglio 1943) già Direttore generale della Pirelli, una volta disse ai tedeschi che ‘le violenze contro gli ebrei non erano compatibili con l’onore dell’esercito italiano’. Dopo l’armistizio con gli alleati (8.9.1943) si rifiutò di collaborare con i nazisti.

Sometimes Hitler like a Godfather or Padrino
Made an offer one couldn’t refuse
After the fateful September the eight
He reckoned Germany could use
Ugo Cavallero Chief of Staff ex-CEO
Of the well-known Pirelli Tyre Co.
As an ally and an example
To shore up Mussolini’s new Rump State
But Cavallero (a southpaw) dropped the bait
And put a bullet in his right temple

(Lamberto Bozzi, 19.5.2012)