Ricchieri, Pablo (1859–1936)

Pablo Ricchieri (b. 1859; d. 1936), Argentine military leader. Born in Santa Fe Province, Argentina, Ricchieri was the son of Italian immigrants. He studied in the Franciscan College, San Lorenzo, and entered the Military Academy, graduating in 1879. Between 1883 and 1886 Ricchieri studied at the Belgium War College. He was then assigned to the Argentine military legation in Germany. He returned to Argentina in 1886 and served on the general staff. Between 1890 and 1898 Ricchieri made numerous trips to Europe to purchase arms. Returning to Argentina, he was designated director general of arsenals and later chief of staff of the army. In 1900 he was named minister of war and on 12 October 1904 he was designated director of the Military Academy.

Ricchieri is credited for having modernized the Argentine army. In 1901 he approved Law 4301 (known as the Ricchieri Law), which created obligatory military service (conscription). He divided Argentina into seven military districts and reorganized the War Department. In 1910 Ricchieri was promoted to division general and in 1916 commissioned as an observer to the fighting on the Western Front. On 7 August 1922 he retired with the rank of lieutenant general. After retiring, General Ricchieri served on numerous commissions.

See alsoArgentina: The Nineteenth Century; Armed Forces.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reseña historica y organica del ejercito argentino, 3 vols. (1972); Ejercito argentino: Cronología militar argentina, 1806–1980 (1982).

Additional Bibliography

Forte, Ricardo. Fuerzas armadas, cultura política y seguridad interna: Orígenes y consolidación del poder militar en Argentina, 1853–1943. Mexico City: R. Fonte, 2001.

                                              Robert Scheina