Ignazio De Genova di Pettinengo

Ignazio De Genova di Pettinengo (Biella, 28 February 1813 – Moncalieri, 2 November 1896) was an Italian politician and general. He was Minister of War during the Third Italian War of Independence.

Early life and career
Pettingo was a career soldier in the artillery. He fought in the First Italian War of Independence and was promoted to colonel in 1848. In 1850 he was appointed deputy commander of the Royal Military Academy of Turin. In June 1851 he was appointed general of the army and in 1858 he was appointed major general. On 7 September 1860 he reached the rank of lieutenant general.

He was elected deputy to the Chamber of the Kingdom of Italy from the constituency of Fossano in February 1861 and re-elected in 1865. From September 1861 he was the king's lieutenant general in the Sicilian provinces, until 5 January 1862. In 1864 he was President of the Superior Council for educational and military education institutions.

Minister of War
From 31 December 1865 to 22 August 1866 he was Minister of War of the Kingdom of Italy, in the third La Marmora and second Ricasoli governments. When he accepted the office his main priority was to reduce military spending, but within months the Austro-Prussian War broke out, which Italy soon joined in the side of Prussia in the Third Italian War of Independence. He therefore found himself rapidly reversing some of the measures he had instituted. Among the criticisms made of his tenure was that mobilisation was too slow; he reduced the rate of the fresh call-up of conscripts while authorising release for those already conscripted. Nevertheless, he did ensure that 565,000 men were called up for the war effort.

He was appointed senator of the Kingdom in 1868. He held the position of General Commander of the Carabinieri from 18 May to 3 November 1877.