Background
Rodolfo Graziani was born in Filettino in the province of Frosinone.
Rodolfo Graziani was born in Filettino in the province of Frosinone.
In 1903, he decided to pursue a military career.
He began his military career in 1908, serving first in Eritrea and later in Libya, where he was stationed at the outbreak of World War I.
In 1915 he was transferred to Italy, where he was promoted to major while fighting the Austrians. He later became a colonel and saw service in Macedonia.
In 1921 he was back in Libya with the troops sent to reassert Italy's sovereignty in that region.
During the Ethiopian War, he was jointly responsible with De Bono for the campaign in southern Ethiopia.
he succeeded Pietro Badoglio as viceroy in Ethiopia. He soon returned to Italy and in November 1939, after the outbreak of World War II, he was appointed chief of staff of the Italian army as well as commander of the army of the Po.
In Libya, he launched an offensive against the British troops on Egyptian territory. The British counteroffensive required reinforcement by German troops to avert complete defeat on the North African front. Graziani resigned as chief of staff and governor of Libya in March 1941 and was stripped of his title of marshal.