Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Amedeo |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Duke of Aosta | |||||
| Reign | 4 July 1931 – 3 March 1942 | ||||
| Predecessor | Emanuele Filiberto | ||||
| Successor | Aimone | ||||
| Born | 21 October 1898 Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
||||
| Died | 3 March 1942 (aged 43) Nairobi, Kenya Colony |
||||
| Spouse |
Princess Anne of Orléans
(m. 1927) |
||||
| Issue |
|
||||
|
|||||
| House | Savoy | ||||
| Father | Prince Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta | ||||
| Mother | Princess Hélène of Orléans | ||||
Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta (born Amedeo Umberto Isabella Luigi Filippo Maria Giuseppe Giovanni di Savoia-Aosta; October 21, 1898 – March 3, 1942) was an important member of the House of Savoy, the royal family of Italy. He was the third Duke of Aosta. He was also a cousin of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
During World War II, Amedeo was the Viceroy of Italian East Africa. A Viceroy is like a governor who rules a colony for a king or queen.
Contents
A Royal Life
Amedeo was born in Turin, a city in Piedmont, Italy. His father was Prince Emanuele Filiberto, the 2nd Duke of Aosta. His mother was Princess Hélène of Orléans.
His great-grandfather was King Victor Emmanuel II. This meant Amedeo was part of the House of Savoy, Italy's royal family. From birth, he was known as the Duke of Apulia.
Amedeo was a very tall man. He was 198 centimeters (about 6 feet, 6 inches) tall. This was quite different from King Victor Emmanuel III, who was known for being short.
Early Life and Training
Amedeo went to school in England at St David's College in Reigate, Surrey. He learned British customs and spoke English with an "Oxford" accent. He even enjoyed British hobbies like fox hunting and polo.
After his schooling, Amedeo joined the Italian Royal Army. He fought bravely in the artillery during World War I. In 1921, he left the army and traveled a lot in Africa.
Later, Amedeo rejoined the Italian military and became a pilot. In 1932, he joined the Italian Royal Air Force. He served in Libya during a time when Italy was trying to control the region. Amedeo and his fellow pilots helped fight against local forces. His role as an air commander was well-known.
On July 4, 1931, Amedeo's father passed away. Amedeo then became the Duke of Aosta.
Leading Italian East Africa
In 1937, Italy had taken control of Ethiopia. This happened during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The Duke of Aosta was chosen to be the new Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa. People generally thought he was a much better leader than the person before him.
As Viceroy, the Duke of Aosta was also the top commander of all Italian military forces. These forces were in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somaliland.
Amedeo in World War II
On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France. The Duke of Aosta became the commander of Italian forces in the East African Campaign of World War II.
He led the first Italian attacks into Sudan and Kenya. In August, he also led the Italian invasion of British Somaliland.
In January 1941, the British forces launched a counter-attack. The Italian forces in East Africa had to defend their positions. They fought hard through February. However, after a tough battle called the Battle of Keren, the Italians were defeated. Soon after, the rest of Eritrea fell to the British.
On January 31, the Duke of Aosta reported that his forces had only 67 working aircraft. They also had very little fuel. With supplies running out and no way to get more, the Duke decided to gather his remaining forces. He concentrated them in strongholds like Gondar and Amba Alagi.
He personally commanded about 7,000 Italians at the mountain fortress of Amba Alagi. Their water supply was cut off, and they were surrounded. About 9,000 British and Commonwealth troops, along with over 20,000 Ethiopian fighters, besieged them. The Duke of Aosta surrendered Amba Alagi on May 18, 1941. Because the Italian soldiers had fought so bravely, the British allowed them to surrender with special honors.
His Final Days
After his surrender, the Duke of Aosta was taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Nairobi, Kenya. He was put in charge of the other prisoners. However, he did not live to see the end of World War II.
On March 3, 1942, he died at the prison camp. Reports said he died from problems caused by both tuberculosis and malaria. His brother, Aimone, 4th Duke of Aosta, became the next Duke of Aosta.
What People Thought of Amedeo
Amedeo was known and respected for being a true gentleman. Before he left his headquarters in Addis Ababa, he wrote a note to the British. He thanked them in advance for protecting the women and children in the cities.
Count Galeazzo Ciano, Italy's Foreign Minister, spoke highly of Amedeo. When he heard of the Duke's death, Ciano wrote that Amedeo was "Simple in his ways, broad in outlook, and humane in spirit."
Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, was also impressed by Amedeo. The Duke had shown great care for the Emperor's personal belongings left in Addis Ababa. In thanks, when the Emperor visited Italy in 1953, he invited Amedeo's wife, Duchess Anne, to tea. However, the Italian government advised against it. Instead, the Emperor invited the 5th Duke of Aosta to Ethiopia in the mid-1960s. He treated him with all the respect due to royalty.
Amedeo's Family Life
Amedeo married his cousin, Princess Anne of Orléans, on November 5, 1927, in Naples. She was the daughter of Prince Jean, Duke of Guise.
They had two daughters:
- Princess Margherita of Savoy-Aosta (born April 7, 1930, died January 10, 2022). She married Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este in 1953. They had five children.
- Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy-Aosta (born September 12, 1933). She married Prince Casimir of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1967. They had four children.
Amedeo in Movies and Books
Prince Amedeo's time in Italian Cyrenaica was shown in the 1981 movie Lion of the Desert. The actor Sky du Mont played Amedeo.
Amedeo was also briefly mentioned in the famous book A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.
Learn More
- Colonial heads of Italian East Africa
- East African Campaign (World War II)
- History of Libya as Italian Colony
- Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
