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Principe Aimone Roberto di Savoia
4th Duca di Aosta
(1900–48)

Other names: Aimone Roberto Margherita Maria Giuseppe Torino

Biographical

Tomislav II, King of Croatia nom. 1941–43, ren.
Tomislav II, Prince of Bosnia and Herzegovina nom. 1941–43, ren.
Tomislav II, Voivode of Dalmatia nom 1941–43 ren.
Tomislav II, Voivode of Tuzla nom 1941–43 ren.
4th Duca d'Aosta 1942–48†
Duca di Spoleto 1904–48†
Principe della Cisterna 1942–48†
Principe di Belriguardo
Marchese di Voghera
Conte di Ponderano
War Cross for Military Valour [Italy]
Medal for Valour, bronze (twice) 1917; silver 1918 [Italy]
Knight of the Order of the Holy Annunciation [Italy]
Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus [Italy]
Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy [Italy]
Knight of the Order of St Hubert [Bavaria]
Knight of the Order of the Saviour [Greece]
Knight of the Order of Leopold [Belgium]
Grand Cross of the Order of Carol I [Romania]
Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta [Vatican]

Admiral 1937
Rear admiral 1936
Captain 1934
Lieutenant 1917

Aimone attended the Naval Academy of Livorno and in 1915, he attended the school of aviation in Taranto. After finishing his period with the Naval Academy in 1916, he sailed on the Andrea Doria as a midshipman, and afterwards, commanded the fleet of the duke of the Abruzzi. He took part in some fighting in the upper Adriatic. He was awarded a Medal for Valour in 1918 for his role in the battle of Scirè. He then commanded the Casiopea in 1918, and terminated his service in the war with distinction. As lieutenant, he went to Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and Brazil in 1920 on the Roma. He commanded a fleet during the war of Ethiopia, and in 1933, he was in command of naval activities in Pola. During the Second World War, he was head of the Dipartimento Marittimo 'Alto Tirreno' at La Spezia. After Croatia had gained independence through the intervention of Germany and Italy in Yugoslavia, Italy was left with the task of reorganising Croatia's political and territorial issues. After a series of agreements concluded in 1941-1942, Italy attempted to establish a personal union between the countries, with Aimone as king of Croatia. The plan was that he would be crowned 'Tomislav II' in Duvno, Bosnia, as Tomislav I had been in 925. The issue with Dalmatia stalled these plans, and Aimone, who lacked political experience and was not informed of the exact details by the Italian government, refused to leave for Croatia. The country was, in reality, under German occupation, and because of that, and because of the political climate in Croatia, Aimone renounced the throne. In 1942, Aimone was appointed Inspector General of the Seas and was transferred to Livorno. He was then rear admiral of the 4th Naval Division, and vice admiral of the Italian Armada. During his role as admiral of the naval base in Taranto, he criticised the judges who oversaw the trial of General Roatta, who had been convicted of war crimes. When his comments were made public, he was dismissed from his post in 1945. When Italy was declared a republic in 1946, Aimone resigned from the navy and left Italy with his family to Switzerland on the king's orders. Afterwards, he settled in Buenos Aires.

Place of birth: Turin
Place of marriage: Florence
Place of death: Buenos Aires
Place of burial: Basilica of Superga

Son of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia-Aosta and Princesse Hélène de France (Bourbon-Orléans). He married Princesse Eirene of Greece (Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg) in 1939, and had issue.

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