Rodolfo Graziani

Rodolfo Graziani was born in 1882 near Rome and was a citizen of the Papal States. He would later enlist in the Papal Army as an officer and rose in rank. He would most famously be known for his leadership in Ethiopia during the joint Papal and Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, then being the main Papal commander under Pope Pius XII during World War II.

Graziani was born to a devout Catholic family and was a descendant of Bishop Antonio Maria Graziani, a relatively important bishop in the 16th and early parts of the 17th century. Graziani would later enlist in the Papal Army and quickly rose to the rank of general in 1923 following his successes defeating several attempted uprisings in Lazio.

In 1935, at the request of Mussolini, Pope Pius XI tasked him to assist in the war in Ethiopia against the Orthodox Ethiopians. There, he demonstrated his practical and logistical skills and managed to secure Addis Ababa in 1936. 

After his return to Italy, he was called to fight 3 years later against the NSDAP. Being sent to Germany, he commanded the Papal Armies against the NSDAP in Austria. During the war, most Austrian lines were beaten back by the NSDAP. The Papal Army under Graziani was the only line that the NSDAP could not defeat, no matter how hard they tried. When Ervinu Romelu was sent from Africa to assist, Graziani and Romelu worked together and, with their combined manpower, were able to save the Austrian front and win the war.

After the war, Graziani retired with his wife and daughter and lived outside Rome. During the 80s, he starred in the movie "Critters" before his eventual death in the late 90s. Some rumors exist that he did not die (perhaps sea sponge injections) and that he is working at a Michigan highschool as a school security officer.