The engagement of the Duke of Aosta, Victor Emmanuel, to Princess Marie-José of Belgium, a significant event in European royal circles, took place on January 8, 1930. This union marked a crucial moment in the history of the House of Savoy, as it strengthened ties between Italy and Belgium, two major European powers at the time.
The duke, a member of the Italian royal family, was the second son of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. His engagement to Princess Marie-José, the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, was seen as a strategic move to solidify the alliance between the two nations. The couple’s marriage would have far-reaching implications for the future of European politics and diplomacy, making their engagement a significant event in the annals of royal history.
what were the key events leading up to the engagement of the Duke of Aosta
- Family Background: The Duke of Aosta, Victor Emmanuel, was a member of the Italian royal family, the House of Savoy, and the second son of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
- Strategic Alliance: The engagement was seen as a strategic move to strengthen ties between Italy and Belgium, two major European powers at the time.
- Royal Connections: Princess Marie-José was the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, further solidifying the alliance between the two royal families.
These factors contributed to the significant event of the Duke of Aosta’s engagement to Princess Marie-José of Belgium, which had far-reaching implications for European politics and diplomacy.
what were the Duke of Aosta’s main achievements during his time in East Africa
- Viceroy and Governor-General: He replaced Marshal Graziani as Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa in 1937, significantly improving the administration and military organization of the region.
- Commander-in-Chief: As Commander-in-Chief of all Italian military forces in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somaliland, he oversaw the initial Italian advances into the Sudan and Kenya during World War II.
- Strategic Leadership: Despite logistical challenges, he implemented a policy of economies and made do with limited resources, taking a balanced view of the strategic situation and anticipating potential threats from British forces.
- Defensive Stance: He concentrated the remaining Italian forces into strongholds, including the mountain fortress of Amba Alagi, where he himself commanded the 7,000 Italians, and resisted the British counter-invasion until his surrender on May 18, 1941.
- Respect from Adversaries: He was highly respected by both his Italian subordinates and British adversaries for his leadership and gallant resistance during the East African Campaign.
These achievements demonstrate the Duke of Aosta’s strategic leadership and resilience in the face of adversity, earning him a reputation as a respected military commander.
how did the Duke of Aosta’s policies impact the local populations in East Africa
- Colonial Rule: As Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa, he implemented colonial policies that exploited and subjugated the local populations, including the Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Somalis.
- Military Conquests: His military campaigns, particularly during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, led to the conquest of Ethiopia and the occupation of East Africa, causing significant displacement, violence, and loss of life among local populations.
- Economic Exploitation: The Duke of Aosta’s policies aimed to extract resources from the region, leading to economic exploitation and further marginalization of local populations.
- Resistance and Rebellion: The local populations resisted Italian occupation, leading to various rebellions and uprisings, which the Duke of Aosta and his forces suppressed with force.
- Humanitarian Crisis: The war and occupation led to a humanitarian crisis, with widespread famine, disease, and displacement affecting local populations.
These policies and actions had profound and lasting impacts on the local populations in East Africa, shaping their experiences and histories during this period.
Yesterday, Vera dei Conti Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga and Nobile Briano Martinoni Caleppio announced their engagement. Vera is a granddaughter of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Savoy, Duke of Aosta, and his first wife, Princess Claude d’Orléans. Vera’s ancestry includes European royalty, European and Italian nobility, as well as Italian industrial and political figures. Briano’s background contains many Italian noble, industrial, and political connections as well.
Vera dei Conti Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga was born at Samedan, Switzerland, on 18 August 1993. She is the second eldest child of Count Gilberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (b.1961) and Princess Bianca of Savoy-Aosta (b.1966). Vera is the second of five children; she has one older sister, Viola (b.1991), two younger sisters, Mafalda (b.1997) and Maddalena (b.2000), and one younger brother, Count Leonardo (b.2001).
Nobile Briano Martinoni Caleppio was born at Milan on 30 November 1984. He is the only child of Nobile Paolo Martinoni Caleppio (b.1949) and his first wife Barbara Parodi Delfino (b.1959). Briano has six half-siblings: three from his father Paolo, and three from his mother Barbara.
 |
| Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, Senator of the Italian Kingdom |
Second cousins once removed, Vera and Briano are both descendants of Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (1873-1933) and Nobile Clotilde Vera dei Conti Papadopoli Aldobrandini (1883-1946). Through her father, Vera is a great-granddaughter of Giberto and Vera; through his mother, Briano is a great-great-grandson of the couple. Vera and Briano’s common ancestor Giberto (like his father before him) served as a member of the Senate of the Italian Kingdom for many years; when he died in August 1933, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini paid tribute to Giberto’s contributions to the Italian nation on the floor of the Senate.
Ancestry of Vera
1. Vera dei Conti Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (b.1993)
Parents
2. Conte Gilberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (b.1961)
who married in 1988
3. Princess Bianca of Savoy-Aosta (b.1966)
Grandparents
4. Conte Leonardo Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (1904-1971)
who married in 1948
5. Nobile Donna Maria Brandolini D’Adda dei Conti di Valmareno (b.1923)
6. Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (b.1943)
who 1stly married in 1964 (civilly divorced in 1982; religiously announced in 1987)
7. Princess Claude d’Orléans (b.1943)
Great-Grandparents
8. Conte Giberto Alberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, Senator of the Italian Kingdom (1873-1933)
who married in 1902
9. Nobile Clotilde Vera dei Conti Papadopoli Aldobrandini (1883-1946)
10. Conte Carlo Brandolini D’Adda, Conte di Valmareno (1887-1942)
who married in 1917
11. Dona Maria José Alvares Pereira de Melo (1893-1947)
12. Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Spoleto, Duke of Aosta (1900-1948)
who married in 1939
13. Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (1904-1974)
14. Prince Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris (1908-1999)
who married in 1931
15. Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Bragança (1911-2003)
Great-Great-Grandparents
16. Conte Silvio Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, Senator of the Italian Kingdom (1844-1913)
who married
17. Virginia Forini Lippi
18. Conte Nobile Nicolò Papadopoli Aldobrandini (1841-1922)
who married in 1880
19. Baroness Helene Hellenbach de Pacsolay (1852/1862-1939)
20. Conte Annibale Brandolini d’Adda, Conte di Valmareno (1829-1901)
who married in 1868
21. Donna Leopolda d’Adda del Marchesi di Pandino
22. Jaime Alvares Pereira de Melo, Duque de Cadaval (1844-1913)
who married in 1887
23. Contessa Maria Graziella Zileri dal Verne degli Obbizi (1859-1952)
24. Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Duke of Aosta (1869-1931)
who married in 1895
25. Princess Hélène d’Orléans (1871-1951)
26. King Constantine I of the Hellenes (1868-1923)
who married in 1889
27. Princess Sophie of Prussia (1870-1932)
28. Prince Jean d’Orléans, Duke of Guise (1872-1940)
who married in 1899
29. Princess Isabelle d’Orléans (1878-1961)
30. Prince Pedro of Orléans-Bragança, Prince of Grão Pará (1875-1940)
who married in 1908
31. Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky von Dobrzenicz (1875-1951)
Ancestry of Briano
1. Nobile Briano Martinoni Caleppio (b.1984)
Parents
2. Nobile Paolo Martinoni Caleppio (b.1949)
who married (divorced)
3. Barbara Parodi Delfino (b.1959)
Grandparents
4. Conte Nobile Luigi Martinoni Caleppio (1913-2001)
who married in 1946
5. Donna Vittoria Carrega Bertolini dei Principi di Lucedio (b.1916)
6. Riccardo Parodi Delfino (b.1934)
who married in 1958
7. Donna Vivide Visconti di Modrone (b.1938)
Great-Grandparents
8. Conte Nobile Camillo Martinoni Caleppio (1878-1960)
who married in 1908
9. Erminia Fenderi (1885-1983)
10. Marchese Don Andrea Carrega Bertolini, Principe di Lucedio (1878-1970)
who married in 1907
11. Donna Paola dei Principi Odeschalchi (1884-1962)
12. Paolo Parodi Delfino (1909-died in a plane crash October 1936)
who married
13. Bonaccorsa “Bona” Aliotti (1908-1995)
14. Conte Don Eduardo Visconti di Modrone (1908-1980)
who married in 1931
15. Nicoletta dei Conti Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (1906-1986)
Great-Great-Grandparents
16. Nobile Luigi Martinoni Caleppio (1837-1890)
who married
17. Nobile Maria dei Conti Caleppio
18. Signore Fenderi
who married
19. ?
20. Marchese Don Francesco “Franco” Carrega Bertolini, Principe di Lucedio (1850-1923)
who married in 1875
21. Emilia Camilla Balbi Senarega dei Marchesi di Piovere (1850-1935)
22. Principe Baldassare Odeschalchi (1844-1909)
who married in 1881
23. Emilia dei Conti Rucellai (1857-1940)
24. Leopoldo Parodi Delfino, Senator of the Italian Kingdom (1875-1945)
who married in 1907
25. Lucie Henny (1887-1977)
26. Signore Allioti
who married
27. ?
28. Conte Don Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone, Conte di Lonate Pozzolo, Duca di Grazzano Visconti (1879-1941)
who married in 1900
29. Carla Erba (d.1939)
30. Conte Giberto Alberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (1873-1933)
who married in 1902
31. Nobile Clotilde Vera dei Conti Papadopoli Aldobrandini (1883-1946)
what were the main achievements of the Duke of Aosta in East Africa
- Family Background: The Duke of Aosta, Victor Emmanuel, was a member of the Italian royal family, the House of Savoy, and the second son of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.
- Strategic Alliance: The engagement was seen as a strategic move to strengthen ties between Italy and Belgium, two major European powers at the time.
- Royal Connections: Princess Marie-José was the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, further solidifying the alliance between the two royal families.
These factors contributed to the significant event of the Duke of Aosta’s engagement to Princess Marie-José of Belgium, which had far-reaching implications for European politics and diplomacy.
The engagement of the Duke of Aosta to Princess Marie-José of Belgium marked a significant moment in European royal history. This union strengthened ties between Italy and Belgium, two major European powers at the time. The Duke of Aosta, a member of the Italian royal family, was the second son of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. His engagement to Princess Marie-José, the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium, was seen as a strategic move to solidify the alliance between the two nations. The couple’s marriage would have far-reaching implications for the future of European politics and diplomacy, making their engagement a significant event in the annals of royal history.
As we reflect on this historic event, we are reminded of the importance of strategic alliances and the role they play in shaping the course of history. The engagement of the Duke of Aosta and Princess Marie-José serves as a testament to the enduring power of diplomacy and the impact it can have on the world stage. As we continue to navigate the complexities of international relations, we would do well to remember the lessons of the past and the significance of strategic alliances. By doing so, we can work towards a more peaceful and cooperative world, where nations can come together to address the challenges we face. The engagement of the Duke of Aosta and Princess Marie-José is a powerful reminder of the importance of diplomacy and the role it plays in shaping our world.
what were the key challenges faced by the Duke of Aosta during the East African Campaign
- Logistical Issues: He was dissatisfied with the state of his forces and realized that there was little prospect of improving the logistic situation. He had to impose economies and make do with limited resources.
- Internal Unrest: The Duke of Aosta was concerned about internal unrest and the activities of Ethiopian exiles, who were believed to be supported by British propaganda and money. He thought that these elements were instigated by the British to dissipate his forces and interrupt internal communications.
- French Somaliland: He was irritated by the failure to clear up the situation in Jibuti, which presented a strategic threat to Ethiopia. The Franco-Italian armistice eventually removed this threat, but not before it caused significant delays.
- British Counter-Invasion: The Duke of Aosta faced a British counter-invasion in January 1941, which led to a defensive stance by the Italian forces. He concentrated the remaining Italian forces into strongholds, including the mountain fortress of Amba Alagi, where he himself commanded the 7,000 Italians.
- Limited Supplies: The Duke of Aosta had limited fuel stocks and supplies, which made it difficult to maintain a strong defense. He eventually surrendered Amba Alagi on May 18, 1941, after a long and gallant resistance.
- Physical Environment: The campaign was marked by challenging physical environments, including deserts, bush country, and mountains. These environments directly affected the planning, scope, and conduct of the Allied offensive operations.
These challenges highlight the difficulties faced by the Duke of Aosta during the East African Campaign, which ultimately led to the defeat of the Italian forces.
