Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta
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Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta (born Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta; given names: Aimone Roberto Margherita Maria Giuseppe Torino; 9 March 1900 – 29 January 1948) was recognised by the Axis powers during World War II as King of the Independent State of Croatia, a puppet state[2][3][4] of Nazi Germany.[5] Accepting the crown on May 18, 1941 he reigned until 31 July 1943 when he abdicated. Born a prince of the House of Savoy he succeeded to the title Duke of Aosta on 3 March 1942.
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[edit] Early life
Prince Aimone Roberto Margherita Maria Giuseppe Torino of Savoy-Aosta was born in Turin the second son of Prince Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta (eldest son of Amadeus I of Spain and Princess Maria Vittoria) and Princess Hélène (daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris and the Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans). His great grandfather was King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, making him a member of the House of Savoy.
On 22 September 1904 he was given the title Duke of Spoleto for life.[6]
In 1929, twenty years after his uncle the Duke of the Abruzzi had attempted to climb K2 in Karakorum, Prince Aimone led an expedition to Karakorum. A member of the expedition was Ardito Desio. Due to the failure to climb K2 twenty years earlier, Prince Aimone's expedition concentrated solely on scientific work.[7][8]
After being linked with Infanta Beatriz of Spain the daughter of King Alfonso XIII,[9] he married on July 1, 1939 in Florence, Princess Irene of Greece the daughter of King Constantine I and Princess Sophie of Prussia. They had a son, Prince Amedeo, on 27 September 1943.[10]
[edit] King of Croatia
On 18 May 1941 a ceremony took place at the Quirinal Palace were Ante Pavelić who led a delegation of Croats asked King Victor Emmanuel III to name a member of the House of Savoy, King of Croatia. Aimone was then officially named King by his cousin Victor Emmanuel III.[11] The Independent State of Croatia as it was officially known covered most of present day states of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On assuming the Crown of Zvonimir he took the regnal name Tomislav II in memory of Tomislav I the first Croatian king.[12] Originally on learning that he had been named King of Croatia he told close colleagues that he thought his nomination was a bad joke by his cousin King Victor Emmanuel III though he accepted the crown out of a sense of duty.[13] The Italian Foreign Minister and Benito Mussolini's son in law Count Ciano's informants said of Aimone "The Duke doesn't give a damn about Croatia and wants only money, money and more money."[14]
He was due to be crowned in Tomislavgrad, in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina but he refused to go to Croatia due to the "Dalmatian question" which arose due to Italy taking some of Dalmatia's coastal territory. Aimone felt that Dalmatia "was a land that could never be Italianized" and was an obstacle to Italian-Croatian reconciliation.[15] Another reason for never setting foot in Croatia was that his safety could not be guaranteed.[14] He never held any real authority throughout his reign as the Ustaše government had deprived the monarchy of most powers and reduced the status of the king to that of a figurehead.[13] In spite of this he did have some symbolic powers such as the ability to grant noble titles.[16] Baron Gyula István Cseszneky de Milvány et Cseszneg was the counselor to the King for Croatian affairs.
Following the dismissal of Mussolini on 25 July 1943 he abdicated on 31 July on the orders of Victor Emmanuel III. With the Italian capitulation on 8 September, he formally renounced on October 12 his rights to the title shortly after the birth of his son who was given Zvonimir as one of his names.[12][17] His full title as King was "King of Croatia, Prince of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Voivode of Dalmatia, Tuzla and Knin, Duke of Aosta (from 1942), Prince of Cisterna and of Belriguardo, Marquess of Voghera, and Count of Ponderano."
[edit] Duke of Aosta
Prince Aimone became 4th Duke of Aosta on 3 March 1942, following the death of his elder brother Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta, in a British Prisoner of War camp in Tanganyika.
In the late months of World War II he became the commander of the Italian Naval Base of Taranto but he was sacked from his post for his criticism of the judges that had found General Mario Roatta guilty.[18]
During his naval career he reached the rank of Ammiraglio di Squadra.
He died in Buenos Aires in 1948.
[edit] Titles and styles
- His Royal Highness Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Spoleto
- His Royal Highness The Duke of Aosta, Prince of Cisterna and of Belriguardo, Marquess of Voghera, and Count of Ponderano
- His Majesty The King of Croatia, Prince of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Voivode of Dalmatia, Tuzla and Knin
[edit] Orders and decorations
Knight of the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation
Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus
Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy
Knight of the Civil Order of the Royal House of Savoy
Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of Italy
Silver Medal of Military Valor
2 Bronze Medal of Military Valor
Military Valour War Cross of Italy
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Commemorative Victory Medal (1918)
Medal of Honour for Long-time Maritime Navigation (20 years)
[edit] References
- ^ Savoy-Aosta
- ^ Independent State of Croatia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- ^ Yugoslavia, Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- ^ History of Croatia:World War II
- ^ USHMM about Independent State of Croatia
- ^ The Peerage
- ^ K2 - The Savage Mountain
- ^ K2 2004 - 50 years later
- ^ "Milestones". Time Magazine. April 21, 1930. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739128,00.html.
- ^ Online Gotha
- ^ Packard, Reynolds (2005). Balcony Empire: Fascist Italy at War. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 190. ISBN 1417985283.
- ^ a b Worldstatesmen
- ^ a b Petacco, Arrigo (2005). A Tragedy Revealed: The Story of the Italian Population of Istria, Dalmatia, and Venezia Giulia. University of Toronto Press. pp. 26, 27. ISBN 0802039219.
- ^ a b Tomasevich, Jozo (2001). War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: Occupation and Collaboration. Stanford University Press. pp. 138. ISBN 0804736154.
- ^ Rodogno, Davide (2006). Fascism's European Empire: Italian Occupation During the Second World War. Cambridge University Press. pp. 95. ISBN 0521845157.
- ^ Balkan royalty
- ^ "Royal House of Italy". European royal houses. http://www.chivalricorders.org/royalty/gotha/italygen.htm.
- ^ "A Duke Departs". Time Magazine. April 23 1945. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,855148,00.html.
[edit] External links
Media related to Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta at Wikimedia Commons- "Crown of Zvonimir". Time Magazine. 1941-05-26. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,765632,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
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Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta
Born: 9 March 1900 Died: 29 January 1948 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant
Title last held by
Charles IV |
King of Croatia 18 May 1941 – 31 July 1943 |
Succeeded by Ante Pavelić as Poglavnik |
| Italian nobility | ||
| Preceded by Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta |
Duke of Aosta 3 March 1942 – 29 January 1948 |
Succeeded by Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta |
