Famous Italian Military Leaders

Italian general, patriot, and republican Giuseppe Garibaldi is remembered for the role he played in the Italian unification and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. He is considered one of Italy's "fathers of the fatherland." A highly proficient military general, he also led the Expedition of the Thousand on behalf of Victor Emmanuel II. He died in 1882.

Considered ruthless by his opponents, Pompey was an ancient Roman general who was a veteran of many wars and played a key role in changing Rome from a republic to an empire. Pompey was first an ally of his more illustrious compatriot Julius Caesar whose daughter he married, and then became his enemy. He was assassinated in Egypt, an end not uncommon in history.

Seventeenth-century soldier Raimondo Montecuccoli, who served the Habsburg Monarchy, is remembered for redefining the art of warfare with his techniques of fortification and siege. He made a significant contribution to the Thirty Years’ War and penned Dell’arte militare, or The Military Art, which remains his most important work.