171 Geschenkdolch der Lega Navale Italina an Emannuele Filiberto di Savoia, Herzog von Aosta (1869 - 1931), Marschall von Italien.
The hilt made of hand-chased silver with the emblem of the Lega Navale Italiana inlaid in gold on the obverse. On the reverse, a crowned shield inlaid in gold with the cipher of Duke Emanuele Filiberto of Aosta. Crossguard with eagle heads.
Particularly magnificent blued blade with etched dedication: “LA LEGA NAVALE ITALIANA A S.A.R. IL DUCA D'AOSTA”
Length: 45 cm.
Important historic edged weapon from the possession of one of the most capable military commanders from the Italian Royal House.
Emanuel Philibert of Savoy-Aosta (Italian: birth name Emanuele Filiberto Vittorio Eugenio Alberto Genova Giuseppe Maria di Savoia[1]; * January 13, 1869 in Genoa; † July 4, 1931 in Turin), 2nd Duke of Aosta and Italian General, was the son of King Amadeus I of Spain and cousin of King Victor Emanuel III of Italy. In World War I, after the defeat of the Italians in the Battle of Caporetto, he maintained the Italian front at the Piave River and later occupied parts of Friuli.
Emanuel Philibert was born on January 13, 1869 in Genoa as the eldest son of the later King Amadeus I of Spain (1845–1890) and Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo (1846–1876). He was a cousin of King Victor Emanuel III of Italy and member of the Italian Royal House of Savoy. Emanuel Philibert became 2nd Duke of Aosta after his father's death in 1890. He began his military career in the Italian Army and was called to Naples as commanding officer in 1905.
Shortly after Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915 and thus entered World War I on the side of the Entente, Emanuel Philibert was appointed General of the 3rd Army on May 26.[2] According to the plans of the Chief of the Italian General Staff, Luigi Cadorna, the 3rd together with the 2nd Army were to carry the main thrust of the Italian offensive efforts.[3] The objective was to cross the Isonzo and advance toward Trieste – 3rd Army – and Ljubljana – 2nd Army – to enable strategic cooperation with the Russian and Serbian armies.
Emanuel Philibert made a significant contribution to the Italian success during the 6th Battle of the Isonzo (August 4–15, 1916), in which the prestigious Görz, the Italian Gorizia, was captured and according to Italian narrative “liberated from the Austrian yoke.” In the following Isonzo offensives, however, the Italians achieved no further breakthrough. After the breakthrough of the German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the course of the 12th Battle of the Isonzo at Caporetto, the Italian forces were thrown back to the Piave. The 3rd Army under the Duke of Aosta also had to withdraw from the Karst and establish a new front at the lower course of the Piave, where the Austro-Hungarian Piave offensives in November 1917 and June 1918 stalled. A further advance by Austria-Hungary was thus prevented.
When Luigi Cadorna was removed as Chief of the General Staff after the costly Battle of Caporetto, it was expected that Emanuel Philibert would assume his position due to his military achievements. However, Victor Emanuel III did not appoint his cousin as new Chief of the General Staff, but rather the relatively unknown Neapolitan General Armando Diaz, who had served under Emanuel Philibert. The King feared losing his throne to the successful, charismatic Duke, who was extremely popular with the Italian people, and his cadet branch Savoy-Aosta.
Only in 1926 was Emanuel Philibert honored for his service in the war under Mussolini's Fascist regime and elevated to “Marshal of Italy.” In remembrance of the war events at the Piave, the municipality of Jesolo had a monumental bridge built, which was inaugurated by Emanuel Philibert on October 9, 1927.
Emanuel Philibert spent his last years in Turin, where he died on July 4, 1931 at the age of 62. His last wish was to be buried alongside the soldiers of the 3rd Army he commanded. For this reason, his grave is located at the Monumental Cemetery of Redipuglia, a memorial site north of the Isonzo estuary at the edge of the Karst. The memorial commemorates the over 100,000 Italian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I at the lower course of the Isonzo and on the Karst plateau south of Görz and represents Italy's largest war memorial.