Roberto Brusati

Roberto Brusati OSML OCI, was an Italian General of the Army who was an active participant in World War I. He was known for not having any military experience prior to the war and commanding the 1st Army before being dismissed from commanding the regiment on May 8, 1916, which was 8 days before the Battle of Asiago which was led by Field Marshal Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf.

Military career before World War I He was born in Milan on July 3, 1850, as the son of Count Giuseppe and Teresa Aman. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Ugo, In 1863 he was admitted to attend the Military College of Florence and passing to Milan to enter the in 1866. Due to his own nationalism, Brusati tried unsuccessfully to volunteer to enlist to fight in the Third Italian War of Independence. The selection among the aspiring officers was then very strict, but he always ranked first in his course, graduating in 1869. With his promotion to second lieutenant, he was admitted directly to the General Staff Corps, thus attending the Royal Academy of Turin for two years in order to obtain eligibility for the service of the General Staff and promotion to lieutenant. He later served in the 3rd Artillery Regiment and was sent to Rome and Milan.

In 1876, he was assigned to the Istituto Geografico Militare where he served for six years. In 1877, he was promoted to captain. In 1881 he got married with Miss Graziella Ferguson who was a resident in Florence. Although politically, he was inclined to neutralism, when the war against Austria-Hungary was decided, he actively devoted himself to the command of the 1st Army.

World War I The 1st Army had its headquarters in Verona and under the orders of General Luigi Cadorna, it had to maintain a strategically defensive attitude, not only during the period of mobilization but also for the entire time in which the 4th Army of General Luigi Nava would have operated from Cadore to open a passage towards Tyrol. The police could no longer guarantee his safety and he had to go into hiding. Considering himself a victim, he closed himself in indignant silence, so as not to disturb the national war effort.

After the war After the war, Roberto requested for full justice to be done. On September 2, 1919, the Commission chaired by Admiral Felice Napoleone Canevaro absolved him of all charges, revoking the retirement of authority, and re-admitting him to service with retroactive effect from 1916. Order of the Crown of Italy Knight (June 3, 1886) Officer (December 27, 1894) Commander (March 20, 1898) Grand Officer (June 4, 1903) Grand Cordon (December 28, 1911) Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Knight (January 12, 1890) Officer (January 15, 1899) Commander (June 4, 1908) Grand Officer (May 30, 1912) Grand Cordon (August 14, 1934)