Gastone Gambara
Quick Facts
Biography
Gastone Gambara (10 November 1890 – 27 February 1962) was an Italian General who participated in the First World War and the Second World War. He excelled during the Italian intervention in favor of the nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War, he had an outstanding role during the North African Campaign and the repression of partisans in the Yugoslavian Campaign.
Born at Imola, he fought in the I World War. Later he was the chief of staff to Bastico in Ethiopia.
In November 1938 he was appointed commander of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, the Italian Corps that fought in the Spanish Civil War. He was commander-in-chief of the Cuerpo de Ejercito Legionario during the Catalonia Offensive, and the final offensive of the Spanish Civil War. On March 30, his troops occupied Alicante.
During the Second World War, he fought in France, Libya and Yugoslavia and after the Kingdom of Italy joined the allies, he became the chief of the general staff to Graziani in the Republic of Salo. After the war, Yugoslavia demanded his extradition to be put on trial for war crimes, but Italy refused to do that.