Ignazio De Genova di Pettinengo

Ignazio De Genova di Pettinengo (Biella, 28 February 1813 – Moncalieri, 2 November 1896) was an Italian politician and general. He was Minister of War during the Third Italian War of Independence.

Early life and career Pettingo was a career soldier in the artillery. He fought in the First Italian War of Independence and was promoted to colonel in 1848. In 1850 he was appointed deputy commander of the Royal Military Academy of Turin. In June 1851 he was appointed general of the army and in 1858 he was appointed major general. On 7 September 1860 he reached the rank of lieutenant general.

He was elected deputy to the Chamber of the Kingdom of Italy from the constituency of Fossano in February 1861 and re-elected in 1865. When he accepted the office his main priority was to reduce military spending, but within months the Austro-Prussian War broke out, which Italy soon joined in the side of Prussia in the Third Italian War of Independence. He therefore found himself rapidly reversing some of the measures he had instituted. Among the criticisms made of his tenure was that mobilisation was too slow; he reduced the rate of the fresh call-up of conscripts while authorising release for those already conscripted. Nevertheless, he did ensure that 565,000 men were called up for the war effort.

Honours