Rodolfo Graziani

Rodolfo Graziani, 1st Marquis of Neghelli ( US: /ˌɡrɑːtsiˈɑːni/ GRAHT-see-AH-nee, Italian: [roˈdɔlfo ɡratˈtsjaːni]; 11 August 1882 – 11 January 1955) also known as the Butcher of Ethiopia or the Butcher of Fezzan, was an Italian military officer in the Kingdom of Italy's Royal Army, primarily noted for his campaigns in Africa before and during World War II. A dedicated and prominent member of the National Fascist Party, he was a key figure in the Italian military during the regime of Benito Mussolini.

Graziani played an important role in the consolidation and expansion of the Italian colonial empire during the 1920s and 1930s, first in Libya and then in Ethiopia. He became infamous for harsh repressive measures, such as the use of concentration camps that caused many civilian deaths, and for extreme measures taken against the native resistance of the countries invaded by the Italian army, such as the hanging of Omar Mukhtar. Due to his brutal methods used in Libya, he was nicknamed Il macellaio del Fezzan ("the butcher of Fezzan"). In February 1937, after an assassination attempt against him during a ceremony in Addis Ababa, Graziani ordered a period of brutal retribution now known as Yekatit 12. Shortly after Italy entered World War II, he returned to Libya as the commander of troops in Italian North Africa but resigned after the 1940–41 British offensive routed his forces, which led to a military catastrophe and a total strategic defeat.