Page 215 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

GUSTAVO REISOLI *

FROM THE STRAITS TO THE VOLTURNO

FROM PUNTA DEL FARO TO NAPLES

In the history of the Hero of our rebirth, the undertaking of the Mille
could be considered as achieved with the landing in Marsala, the battle of
Calatafimi and the conquest of Palermo. In those feats we really find the
characters of the desperate adventure carried out by a handful of men against
a huge number of men, by the unarmed versus the armed, by a handful of
rebels versus the regular army of a Kingdom.
A scant group of men, relying only on good luck and expecting their sole
help from fate, crossed a watched over sea, landed in an enemy country and
penetrated into it – wonderful folly – looking for victory or death. The
events followed one another swiftly and seemed incredible: the furious battle
of Calatafimi, the impetus of Palermo, the hard fight of Milazzo, all Sicily in
flames. Then the desperate adventure started to become a serious thing, but
it was late when the powers of Europe, who at first had remained stupefied
and incredulous, protested against the “Rascal” and it was late when Francis

* Gustavo Reisoli Matthieu di Pian Villar (Turin, 1887 - 1955) was appointed infantry Second
Lieutenant in 1907 and subsequently attended the War College.
Then he participated in the Libya campaign. Captain of the General Staff Corps at the beginning of the
first world war, he served as General Staff officer for the whole conflict and achieved the rank of Major.
Brigadier General at the beginning of the WWII, he commanded from 1941 to 1943 the Lupi di
Toscana Division, obtaining a silver medal for military bravery on the Greek-Albanian front. As Major
General, he commanded the XIII Army Corps and as General Staff officer in Brindisi he participated in
the reorganization of the Armed Forces after the armistice. He concluded his military career as
Lieutenant General of the reserve. Brilliant lecturer, he has to his credit a vast and varied activity as writer
that produced some ten volumes. Among his historical-military works we mention: Ardant du Picq,
Turin, 1929; La conquista di Plava, (The Conquest of Plava) Rome, 1932; La guerra dei cento anni, (The
Hundred Years' War) Turin, 1934; Fuoko su Adolfo, Fuoko su Benito, (Fire against Adolph, Fire against
Benito) Naples, 1948.