Mario Roatta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mario Roatta
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| Nickname(s) | Black Beast |
| Born | 2 February 1887 Modena, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 7 January 1968 (aged 80) Rome, Italy |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Italy |
| Service/ |
 Royal Italian Army |
| Years of service | 1906–1943 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars |
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| Spouse(s) | Ines Mancini |
| Children | Sergio (1928 - ) |
Mario Roatta (born February 2, 1887 – died January 7, 1968) was an Italian general. He served in World War I and later commanded the Corpo Truppe Volontarie. This group helped Francisco Franco's forces during the Spanish Civil War.
From 1939 to 1942, he was a top leader in the Italian Army. He also helped plan the invasion of Yugoslavia. Roatta is most known for his command of the Italian Second Army during World War II. In this role, he used very harsh methods against civilians in parts of Yugoslavia that Italy had taken over.
He created a policy to fight against the Yugoslav Partisans. He also worked with the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia and the Chetniks. Roatta issued a set of rules called Circular 3C. These rules called for "ethnic clearance" and "complete cleansing" of areas where Slovene people lived.
Following these rules, Roatta ordered severe actions. These included taking people as hostages, destroying homes and villages, and sending 25,000 people to Italian concentration camps. These camps were in places like Rab and Gonars. After the war, the people who survived these camps did not receive any money from the Italian government. These deportations affected about 7.5% of the population in the Province of Ljubljana.
Because of his harsh actions in Yugoslavia, Mario Roatta was given the nickname "Black Beast of Yugoslavia."
Contents
Early Life and Military Start
Mario Roatta was born on February 2, 1887, in Modena, Kingdom of Italy. His mother, Marie Antoinette Richard, was from France. His father, Giovan Battista Roatta, was a captain in the Royal Italian Army.
In 1904, Mario began studying at a military school in Modena. At 19, he became an active soldier. In 1906, he was promoted to second lieutenant in an infantry regiment in Turin. Three years later, he became a lieutenant. By August 1914, he was a captain.
During World War I, he fought on the Italian, Albanian, and French fronts. He even served as a chief of staff for a division. He was promoted to major in January 1917 and then to lieutenant colonel later that year.
Between the World Wars
After World War I ended, Roatta stayed in the military. In 1919, he went to Berlin to help bring Russian prisoners of war back home. Later that year, he joined the Italian team at the Paris Peace Conference.
In the early 1920s, he taught at an infantry school. From 1926 to 1930, he worked as a military attaché at the Italian Embassy in Warsaw. During this time, he became a colonel. He also served as an aide to King Vittorio Emanuele III. In 1929, he became a military attaché in Helsinki.
After returning to Italy, he commanded an infantry regiment. Then, in 1933, he became the Chief of Staff of the Army Corps in Bari. After that, he was the Chief of Intelligence for the General Staff.
From 1934 to 1936, Roatta led Italy's Military Intelligence Service (SIM).
Role in the Spanish Civil War
From 1936 to 1938, Roatta was involved in the Spanish Civil War. He helped direct Italy's support for the Nationalists. In 1936, he was given command of the Corps of Volunteer Troops (Corpo Truppe Volontarie, CTV).
In March 1937, Roatta and his CTV forces were sent to central Spain for the Battle of Guadalajara. Their goal was to capture Madrid. Roatta was later replaced as commander.
From July to October 1939, he worked as a military attaché in Berlin.
World War II Actions
From October 1939 to March 1941, Mario Roatta was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Army.
In September 1940, Italy began planning the invasion of Yugoslavia. Roatta reported that many Italian forces were gathered near the Yugoslav border. There were two armies on the front line and a third in reserve.
Commanding the Second Army
In January 1942, Roatta became the commander of the Italian Second Army. He took over from General Vittorio Ambrosio.
Between January and February 1942, Roatta and Ambrosio discussed how the army should deal with the Croats, Chetniks, and Partisans. Roatta wanted to move many Italian troops out of certain areas. He planned to reorganize the remaining troops into strong garrisons. Ambrosio agreed that they should be loyal to the Croats but also firm. He also said they should fight the Partisans "to the bitter end."
Under Roatta's command, Italy's actions against the Slovene people were very harsh. Orders were given for punishments, taking hostages, and destroying homes and villages. People were also sent to camps like Rab and Gonars concentration camp.
With the Chetniks, Roatta was able to set his own policy. Collaboration between the Italian forces and the Chetniks became much more organized under his leadership.
Circular 3C and Harsh Policies
On March 1, 1942, Roatta issued Circular 3C. This document was given to all Italian commanders in areas occupied by Italy. It was a plan for harsh control in Yugoslav territories. It called for mass internment and a "scorched earth" strategy. This meant destroying everything that could be useful to the enemy.
In areas where fighting was happening, Roatta ordered that families without able-bodied men (aged 16-60) be sent to camps. He said this was because of the danger from rebels. Suspicious groups were to be taken as hostages. If attacks happened against Italians and the attackers were not found within 48 hours, the hostages would be punished.
People living near railways, roads, or military depots could also be punished if sabotage occurred and they didn't provide information. Their homes could be destroyed, and their animals taken. Roatta also said that any male near rebel groups, even if wounded, should be seen as an insurgent if they wore uniforms or carried military gear.
Circular 3C also included "ten commandments" for the army. These rules stressed that the army was fighting a war and needed to be very active in gathering information. They also emphasized secrecy, strong defenses, and fighting fiercely against the enemy.
On March 6, 1942, Roatta also outlined his policy towards the Chetniks. He aimed to support them enough to fight against communists but not so much that they became too powerful. He also wanted them to avoid fighting Croatian forces.
Roatta later explained his policy in his memoirs. He said he ignored the Chetniks' political goals. He only focused on the fact that they were helping the Italian forces in his command area. He continued to work with them, even when others disagreed. He provided them with weapons and supplies.
On May 23, 1942, Roatta met with Benito Mussolini. Mussolini told him that "the best situation is when the enemy is dead." He also said that many hostages should be taken and punished if needed. Roatta suggested closing borders, moving people, and sending "twenty to thirty thousand persons" to Italian concentration camps. He also proposed burning houses and taking property from villagers suspected of helping Slovene Partisans. Roatta insisted, "If necessary don't shy away from using cruelty. It must be a complete cleansing."
Working with Chetniks and Withdrawal
In June 1942, Italy and Croatia made an agreement. Italy would withdraw about half of its forces from certain areas. The Croatian government would then manage the Chetnik groups that the Italians had set up, as long as the Chetniks recognized Croatia's authority.
From September 1942, the Chetniks tried to get the Italians to launch a large operation against the Yugoslav Partisans. Roatta met with Chetnik leader Ilija Trifunović-Birčanin. Trifunović-Birčanin asked for quick action and offered 7,500 Chetniks to help, if they received weapons and supplies.
By September 16, 1942, Roatta reported that he had 12,320 Chetniks under his command. He also said he could arm 6,000 more. By February 1943, the Italian Second Army commanded 20,514 Chetniks.
In early October, the Italian-Chetnik offensive called Operation Alfa began. It targeted Partisans. Between 3,000 and 5,500 Chetniks took part. During this operation, the Chetniks harmed many civilians. Roatta objected to these actions. He threatened to stop Italian aid if the violence did not end.
On October 10, 1942, Mladen Lorković, the Croatian foreign minister, complained about the increase in Chetnik violence against Croats. He asked for Chetniks to be removed from certain areas and for their commanders to be replaced. A few days later, Roatta met with Pavelić, the Croatian leader. Roatta promised to address the Croatian requests regarding the Chetniks.
In late February 1943, General Mario Robotti replaced Roatta as commander of the Second Army. Robotti continued to use Roatta's harsh policies.
Command in Sicily
After leaving Yugoslavia, Roatta took command of the Sixth Army in Sicily on February 11, 1943. He gained control over all armed forces in Sicily. He used his power to build bunkers, set up anti-invasion obstacles, and lay barbed wire and mines.
In May 1943, Roatta gave a speech that included negative comments about the people of Sicily. Because relations between Sicily and mainland Italy were already difficult, it was decided to remove Roatta. He was moved to Rome in June to become the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army. General Alfredo Guzzoni took over command of the Sixth Army.
Trial and Later Life
On November 10, 1943, the Allies asked that Mario Roatta be removed from his position. This was because Yugoslavia accused him of committing war crimes. Roatta was dismissed two days later. Yugoslavia tried to get Roatta sent to them for trial, but this was not successful. He and other suspected Italian war criminals were never tried. The British government prevented these requests. They wanted to support the anti-communist Italian government after the war.
Some historians and journalists have said that the Italian public and media have forgotten the harsh actions committed during World War II. They point to Roatta not being tried as an example of this "historical amnesia."
On March 5, 1945, Roatta escaped from a hospital in Rome. A reward was offered for his capture. The next day, a protest about his escape turned into a riot, and one person died. Roatta fled to Spain, where he was protected by dictator Francisco Franco. In Italy, he was found guilty in his absence and sentenced to life in prison. However, his sentence was overturned by the Italian High Court of Appeal in 1948.
Roatta returned to Rome in 1966. He lived there until his death on January 7, 1968.
Personal Life
Mario Roatta married Ines Mancini on January 14, 1922. They had a son named Sergio, who was born in 1928.
Images for kids
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A robot designed for children.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Roatta para niños
