Alfonso La Marmora facts for kids
Alfonso La Marmora (born November 18, 1804 – died January 5, 1878) was an important Italian general and politician. He played a big part in the creation of modern Italy. He was known for his military skills and for leading the government.
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Early Life and Military Career
Alfonso La Marmora was born in Turin, Italy. His family was very wealthy and noble. His father was a Marquis, which is a high noble title. In 1822, Alfonso finished his studies at the Military Academy in Turin. This was the start of his long military career. He worked his way up through the ranks. By 1856, he had become a general.
Improving the Army
Alfonso La Marmora became the Minister of War for the Kingdom of Sardinia. He held this job twice. He worked under important leaders like Massimo D'Azeglio and Camillo Cavour. In 1854, La Marmora made many changes to the army. He wanted to make the troops better and stronger.
- He improved the training for soldiers.
- He created new schools for officers.
- He changed how new soldiers were recruited.
- He increased the army's size to 60,000 soldiers.
- He made the riflemen units stronger.
- He also improved the cavalry, artillery, and medical services.
These changes helped make the Sardinian army much more effective.
Prime Minister and Unification
In 1855, La Marmora left his job as Minister of War. He went to fight in the Crimean War. This war involved many European powers. After this, he became the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sardinia. He served from July 1859 to January 1860.
After Italy became a united country, La Marmora continued to serve. He was the governor of Milan and the Prefect of Naples. These were important leadership roles. He then became the Prime Minister of the new Kingdom of Italy. He was also the Foreign Minister. He held these jobs from September 1864 to July 1866.
Third Italian War of Independence
In 1866, La Marmora resigned from his political roles. He did this to lead the Italian army in the Third Italian War of Independence. This war was fought to gain more land for Italy. However, during this war, La Marmora made some mistakes in his battle plans. This led to a difficult defeat for Italy.
Later Life
In 1870, Alfonso La Marmora decided to retire from politics. He had served his country for many years. He passed away in Florence in 1878. He was buried in Biella. His brother, Alessandro La Marmora, was also famous. Alessandro founded the special Bersaglieri corps of the Italian army.
Note
Images for kids
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Garibaldi and General La Marmora
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Portrait of La Marmora
See Also
In Spanish: Alfonso La Marmora para niños
