The following information provides a snapshot of the career of Giovanni ESPOSITO di Zopito e di Apollonia Acerbo GENERALE DI CORPO D’ARMATA.
Giovanni ESPOSITO di Zopito e di Apollonia Acerbo GENERALE DI CORPO D’ARMATA
Born: 18 May 1882 in Loreto Aprutino
Died: 3 June 1958 in Roma
Promotions:
Sottotenente: 14 Sep 1906
Tenente: 14 Sep 1909
Capitano: 1914
Maggiore: 1915
Tenente colonnello: 13 Jun 1926
Colonnello: 18 Feb 1930
Generale di brigata: 9 Sep 1937
Generale di divisione: 31 May 1940
Generale di corpo d’armata: Apr 1944
Career:
10 Jun 1937 – 15 Dec 1938: Deputy General Officer Commanding, 28th Infantry Division “Vespri”
15 Dec 1938 – 1 Sep 1939: Commanding Officer, Frontier Guards, Army Corps of Milano
1 Sep 1939 – 14 Jan 1941: General Officer Commanding, 57th Infantry Division “Lombardia”
14 Jan 1941 – 1 Oct 1942: General Officer Commanding, 5th Alpine Division “Pusteria”
1 Oct 1942 – 25 Apr 1943: assigned to Inspectorate of Alpine Troops
25 Apr 1943 – May 1943: assigned to Ministry of War, Inspector of Alpine Troops
Jul 1943 – May 1945: General Officer Commanding, 204th Regional Military Command Trieste
Awards & Decorations:
Cavaliere dell’Ordine militare di Savoia: 20 Nov 1941
Grand’uffiziale dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 17 Aug 1942
Commendatore dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 20 Apr 1934
Uffiziale dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia: 15 Jan 1923
Cavaliere dell’Ordine dei SS. Maurizio e Lazzaro: 28 Dec 1919
Cavaliere dell’Ordine coloniale della Stella d’Italia: 28 Dec 1933
Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Corona d’Italia
Medaglia d’oro al valor militare: 22 Mar 1913
Medaglia d’argento al valor militare: Oct 1915
Medaglia di bronzo al valor militare: Jul 1915
Croce al valore
Notes:
Graduated from the Royal Military Academy of Infantry and Cavalry in Modena. After the armistice of 8 September 1943, in an attempt to protect the Italian population, he joined the Italian Social Republic, becoming regional commander of the Republican National Army. At the end of the war, accused of collaborating with the enemy, he was arrested, jailed, tried, and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Transferred to Italy by decision of the Allied Military Government, he was imprisoned in Civitavecchia, and in December 1948 the Court of Cassation reduced his sentence to 15 years in prison. Released in January 1949 by taking advantage of the government amnesty, he retired to private life, being reinstated in his rank in 1956.
Sources:
Bollettino ufficiale delle nomine, promozioni e destinazioni negli ufficiali e sottufficiali del R. esercito italiano
e nel personale dell’amministrazione militare;
Annuario militare del Regno d’Italia;
http://augusto.agid.gov.it/gazzette/index;
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Esposito_(militare);
