The Italian Marshal who escaped justice for war crimes by becoming a political asset.

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Pietro Badoglio was a central figure in Italian military history, rising from a modest artillery officer to a Marshal and Prime Minister. Despite orchestrating brutal colonial campaigns and chemical warfare in Africa, he escaped prosecution after World War II, largely because Western powers viewed him as an essential anti-communist bulwark.

Pietro Badoglio’s career spanned the most volatile decades of Italian history. Born in 1871, he ascended through the ranks of the Regio Esercito, gaining prominence during the First World War. Though he was a key figure during the disastrous Battle of Caporetto in 1917, he successfully deflected criticism and maintained his military standing. By 1926, he had been promoted to Marshal of Italy, eventually becoming the chief of staff from 1925 to 1940.

Badoglio’s legacy is defined by his ruthless colonial administration. As governor of Libya from 1929 to 1933, he oversaw the genocide of Libyan Arabs, confining over half the population of Cyrenaica to concentration camps where many perished from neglect. Later, in 1935, he replaced Emilio de Bono as commander in Abyssinia. There, he authorized the use of mustard gas to dismantle Ethiopian resistance, culminating in his capture of Addis Ababa in 1936. For these actions, he was named the first viceroy of Ethiopia and Duke of Addis Ababa.

In 1943, King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Badoglio as Prime Minister to replace Benito Mussolini. The King favored Badoglio precisely because he was an opportunist who had faithfully served the Fascist system, unlike other candidates who were viewed as men of principle. After signing an armistice with the Allies in September 1943, Badoglio fled Rome to Brindisi, leaving his armed forces without orders and vulnerable to German retaliation. Despite his history of atrocities, he was never tried for war crimes; the British government shielded him, seeing his leadership as a necessary guarantee against the influence of the Soviet Union in post-war Italy.

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