Beneçito Foestolo
Beneçito Foestolo | |
|---|---|
 Foestolo in 2007 | |
| Grand Marshall of the Union | |
| In office June 30, 2006 – April 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Julio Faeo |
| Succeeded by | Marco Lorençeo |
| Marshall of War | |
| In office June 18, 1996 – June 29, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Publio Marcono |
| Succeeded by | Marco Lorençeo |
| Chairman of the Vanguardist Party | |
| In office June 30, 2006 – April 2, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Julio Faeo |
| Succeeded by | Marco Lorençeo |
| Senator from SE Romanum | |
| In office September 20, 2004 – April 2, 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 17, 1953 Nosterus, SE Romanum, New Illyricum |
| Died | April 2, 2011 (aged 57) Tudino, SE Illyricum Nord, New Illyricum |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Resting place | Palace of the Fish, Porto Ignaçio |
| Political party | Vanguardist Party |
| Other political affiliations | Red Cabal Party |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Tulia (m. 1971) |
| Children | 12 |
| Occupation | Politician, soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  New Illyricum |
| Branch/service |  New Illyrian Army |
| Years of service | 1970 - 1996 |
| Rank |  General |
| Unit | New Illyrian Foreign Army, 1st Army |
Beneçito Foestolo (August 17, 1953 - April 2, 2011) was a New Illyrian soldier and politician who served as the grand marshall of the union from 2006 to his death 2011 and as the marshall of war from 1996 to 2006. Foestolo also served as the chairman of the Vanguardist Party from 2006 to 2011. Foestolo, who had served in the New Illyrian Army from 1970 to 1996 as a grand general, became marshall of war under grand marshall Julio Faeo. Following the beginning of the First Ferunian Separatist War, Foestolo supplanted Faeo as grand marshall in order to address the military crisis. The war ended in 2008, after which Foestolo gained a full term after running unopposed in the 2009 marshall election. Foestolo served two more years as grand marshall before his death from lung cancer in 2011.
Foestolo was born in Nosterus, SE Romanum, in 1953. At age seventeen, in 1970, Foestolo joined the New Illyrian Armed Forces where he served in the New Illyrian Army. Following the 1971 coup administrated by Te Ntano, which expelled grand marshall Luçeo Estafaneleo and installed the oppressive silençeo regime, Foestolo joined the New Illyrian Freedom and Resistance Army. Foestolo participated in the 1978 coup which unseated Ntano. Foestolo supported the Red Cabal Party and participated in the 1978 marshall election as a volunteer elector representing SE Italia Oest in support of Leopoleo Polo.
Foestolo became a general in 1981 and was deployed to Baltanla to serve as the commander of the New Illyrian Foreign Army in the Third Baltanese Civil War. Foestolo led New Illyrian troops in the Tetao Offensive and fought at the Battle of Hanoia before organizing the New Illyrian withdrawal from Baltanla in 1989. Following the resignation of Polo in 1985, Foestolo became increasingly at odds with Red Cabal Party leaders, including grand marshall Luçeo Çaresi, who in response blocked Foestolo's 1988 congressional bid.
Foestolo left the party in 1989, joining the Vanguardist Party, because of which he lost significant military influence and was supplanted as the leading New Illyrian general by Antonio Colo. Foestolo supported the 1992 impeachment of Çaresi and Luçeo Coloneo's unsuccessful campaign in the 1992 marshall election. Foestolo again ran unsuccessfully for congress in 1994, after which he was selected by Publio Marcono, the marshall of war, to be his chief of staff.
Foestolo served in that capacity until he was made marshall of war in 1996, following Marcono's retirement. As marshall of war, Foestolo became heavily involved in foreign affairs, working with marshall of foreign affairs Filipo Deneo to secure new equipment and arms from international outlets. Foestolo also helped modernize the New Illyrian Armed Forces and expanded the nation's aviation force. After the onset of the 2005–06 Ferunia Crisis, grand marshall Julio Faeo came under increasing scrutiny. The crisis spawned the Free Ferunian Army, a fascist terrorist organization, which attacked and captured the Ferunian State House June 13. Shortly after, the congress of New Illyricum voted to remove grand marshall Faeo and selected Foestolo to serve as acting grand marshall until the reestablishment of order in southern Illyricum.
As grand marshall, Foestolo and his political ally, Marco Lorençeo, fought the First Ferunian Separatist War until 2008. Eventually, after two years of large scale fighting throughout SE Ferunicum, SE The Eisley, and SE Armoria, Foestolo defeated the Free Ferunian Army and reestablished New Illyrian control. Foestolo gained full executive power in 2009 after running unopposed and instituted a variety of reforms and measures to prevent further separatist movements. In 2011, Foestolo died of lung cancer at age 58, becoming the first grand marshall to die in office.
