Giorgio Des Geneys
Count and Baron Giorgio Andrea Agnes Des Geneys ( born April 29, 1761 Chiomonte, Piedmont, † January 3, 1839 in Genoa) was an admiral of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. After the end of Napoleonic rule from 1814 he founded the navy of the kingdom new, which then burst into the Italian Navy in 1861.
Life
At age 12, he joined as a cadet in the small navy of the House of Savoy. Founded in the 16th century by Emanuel Philibert of Savoy Navy had participated in 1571 under Admiral Andrea Provana at the Battle of Lepanto, and fought in the centuries thereafter, mainly against North African pirates. The young naval officer Giorgio Des Geneys participated in battles against pirates, so in 1776 in the bay of Bizerta. On 13 July 1789 he captured three pirate ships, which were adopted in the Sardinian- Piedmontese Navy immediately.
After the government in Turin had rejected the demand of the French Republic pursuant to an assignment of the County of Nice in September 1792 occupied French revolutionary troops Nice and Villafranca. Giorgio Des Geneys escaped with his San Vittorio. At first he thought to operate in the Atlantic against the French ships. Instead, he participated in the coalition that defended the port of Toulon against Napoleon. After the victory of Napoleon, the crew of the San Vittore on fire and stabbed with the more modern and better-armed French frigate Alceste in the lake. However, a French squadron captured the Alceste shortly after a heavy battle back; Des Geneys came in captivity until 1795.
After he had yet awarded in 1798 as governor in the defense of Oneglia, he followed the king to Sardinia, whither he had gone to the loss of the Piedmont. In Sardinia Des Geneys took over in 1801 the command of the remnants of the Royal Navy. Under the boatswain Domenico Millelire this had been there in 1793 awarded at the Battle of La Maddalena against the French. While care is now mainly British fleet under Nelson associations to the French in the Mediterranean, Des Geneys fought again against North African pirates who repeatedly raided and plundered coastal villages of the island (including Carloforte ). On September 15, 1804 Des Geneys succeeded after a long battle, the capture of two well-armed pirate ships, to which were added two more in Teulada on 28 July 1811.
After the Restoration Des Geneys participated as a diplomat at the Congress of Vienna, 1814, inter alia, on the the port of Liguria was decided at the Sardinia - Piedmont. After the congress he became governor of Genoa and took over from Giuseppe Thaon di Revel transitional head of the new Carabinieri troops. From 1815 he built as commander of the Navy's fleet practically new and founded in 1816 the Royal Naval School, which took care of the training of future officers.
A few years later, crossed modern Piedmontese ships in the Aegean and in North Africa. When the Bey of Tripoli Special Tribute called and threatened with raids, the government in Turin sent a diplomatic delegation to Tripoli, which was escorted by Des Geneys warships. When the Bey during the negotiations renewed his threats, boarding party sat on the night of September 27, 1825 several warships of the Bey on fire. Then he renounced further claims. Shortly after, the Bey of Tunis was forced to issue a Piedmont merchant ship that had been seized for no reason.
Admiral Giorgio Des Geneys also took care in subsequent years in order to expand the Navy and to the protection of the coasts and shipping against raids of North African pirates. The fleet was repeated to the success of diplomatic initiatives and enabled or accelerated also the conclusion of trade agreements with North African rulers.