Enrico Caviglia – the forgotten Italian. A Life as Soldier, Writer, serving the country

In this paper we will talk about the Italian Field Marshal Enrico Caviglia (4th May 1862 – 22nd March 1945). To do that, we will use in particular the biography Enrico Caviglia. L’anti Badoglio, written by P. P. Cervone, the Caviglia’s Diary edited by Cervone and the books written by the same Marshal after the IWW: La dodicesima battaglia: Caporetto (1933), Vittorio Veneto (1920), La battaglia della Bainsizza (1930), Le tre battaglie del Piave (1934). Why is it so important to study the life of this soldier? Because Caviglia was one of the most important and capable generals during the First World War and because, nowadays he is unknown to the majority of Italians. Why did it end up like this? It is extremely interesting. After that conflict, during which he was the true winner of the most important Italian won battle, he was removed by any important command. He retired in his hometown, writing some really interesting studies on the IWW and he was almost forgotten. Nonetheless in 1943, when Italy surrendered to the Allies Powers and its Government escaped from Rome, leaving the city to the German Army, he took the leadership of what remain of the Italian forces, trying to save what was possible. After those weeks he definitively retired at Finalmarina. Forgotten by Italian politicians and by historians, he remains one of the most important examples of nobility and military virtues, who still has to be studied. In the first part of this paper we will analyse the Caviglia’s career before the IWW, then we will see how he acted during the conflict, focusing our attention on the three battles during which his military skills appeared more clearly: the Bainsizza, Caporetto and Piave. In the last passage it will be studied the life of the general after the war and we will try to explain why this General was and still is today almost unknown.