Italo Gariboldi (20 April 1879 – 3 February 1970) was a senior officer in the Italian Royal Army ( Regio Esercito ) before and during World War II . He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by German Führer Adolf Hitler , for his leadership of Italian forces in the Battle of Stalingrad . [1] Contents [ hide ] 1 Biography 1.1 Abyssinia 1.2 North Africa 1.3 Russia 1.4 Italy 2 Military offices held 3 See also 4 References 4.1 Citations 4.2 Bibliography 5 External links Biography [ edit ] Gariboldi was born in Lodi , Lombardy . From the end of World War I and through the interwar Period , Gariboldi rose in the ranks and held various staff, regimental, and brigade level commands. Abyssinia [ edit ] In 1935, Gariboldi commanded the 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda" on the northern front during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War ...