Emilio De Bono was born near Milano on March 19, 1866. He fought in the Colonies and in WW1 , where he was promoted to Major General at the wars end. As Balbo, he joined the fascist movement and was another of the four organizers of the March on Rome (the so-called Quadrumviri).

He was named Governor of Libya in 1925 and Minister of Colonial Affairs in 1929. In 1935, he was the Supreme Commander of the Italian Operation against Ethiopia, but he was soon relieved by Mussolini. As a compensation, he was promoted Marshal on November 16, 1935.

Because of his age, he was not used in any active function in WW2. As a member of the fascist Grand Council, he helped to topple Mussolini on July 25, 1943. In revenge, he was later captured by the Germans, handed over to the RSI and shot along with Galeazzo Ciano in Verona on January 11, 1944.

Written By: Stefan Schlemmer