Amedeo Guillet
This dashing 'Devil Commander' led the last cavalry charge of the Italian army and later became a master diplomat in the Arab world.
1909–2010 (age 101)·Italian army officer and diplomat·Birthday: February 7·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Amedeo Guillet lived a life that seemed ripped from a Boy's Own adventure tale. A skilled horseman and soldier from an aristocratic family, he earned his mythic nickname during Italy's campaign in East Africa in World War II. After the Italian defeat at the Battle of Keren, he refused to surrender, leading a band of Eritrean horsemen in a brilliant guerrilla campaign against the British for three years, becoming a folk hero to locals. His post-war life was equally extraordinary. He joined the diplomatic corps, serving as Italy's ambassador to Jordan, Yemen, and Morocco, where his deep respect for Arab culture and fluency in multiple languages made him exceptionally effective. Living to 101, Guillet was the last man to have commanded a cavalry charge in war for the Italian army, a symbolic bridge between the age of the saber and the age of diplomacy.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Amedeo was born in 1909, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amedeo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1909
Amedeo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1909Born
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1914Started school
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Became a teenager
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Could drive
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1927Could vote
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Turned 21
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1939Turned 30
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 40
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 50
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 60
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 70
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 80
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
2010Died at 101
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Led one of the last successful cavalry charges in modern warfare at the Battle of Keren in 1941.
- Commanded a guerrilla force in Eritrea and Ethiopia for over two years after Italy's official defeat.
- Served as Italian Ambassador to key Arab nations including Jordan, Yemen, and Morocco.
- Awarded multiple high military honors, including the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Savoy.
Did You Know?
He was fluent in Arabic, Amharic, and several other languages.
During his guerrilla years, he disguised himself as an Arab named 'Ahmed Abdullah al Redai'.
King Hussein of Jordan was a personal friend and gave him a prized Arabian stallion as a gift.
He lived to be 101 years old, one of Italy's longest-lived military heroes.
“A cavalryman fights on horseback, but a horseman fights with his horse.”
