Hermann Kanzler (28 March 1822, Weingarten, Grand Duchy of Baden – 6 January 1888, Rome, Kingdom of Italy) was a German general who commanded the Army of the Papal States and was the arms minister during the reign of Pope Pius IX. He led Papal forces during the Battle of Mentana against Italian troops. He was born in southern Germany in Weingarten in 1822 from a middle-class family, therefore with a surname still lacking the noble predicate "von". After high school he entered the military school of Karlsruhe and graduated as an officer in 1840, however he resigned in 1844. After a stay in England, Kanzler entered the papal army in 1845, with the rank of captain; in 1848 he fought against the Austrians during the First War of Independence and, in 1859, he became regimental commander. The following year, following the audacity shown against the Piedmontese during the Second War of Independence, he was appointed general by the Cardinal Minister Francesco Saverio de Mérode; in 1865 he was appointed Prominent of the Arms and Supreme Commander of the Papal Forces and, until 1870, he provided for the reorganization of every component of the Army itself. A feverish job, in constant competition with the upheavals of Garibaldi's men throughout Italy. The first major commitments came in 1867 when outbreaks of revolt were stirred up inside the Eternal City which, although not having the desired effects in the Roman population, produced the attack on the Serristori Barracks, the insurrection at the Ajani Wool Mill, severely repressed, and Garibaldi's raid with the clash at Villa Glori. On the outside, however, the Garibaldians, with the tacit support of the Kingdom of Italy, started a real military campaign that from north and south aimed to conquer Rome. This led to the Battle of Monterotondo (October 25, 1867) and that of Mentana (November 3, 1867) where the French Expeditionary Force also made a decisive contribution, thanks also to its new Chassepot breech-loading rifles. The defeat for Garibaldi was complete. The excellent telegraph system and the encrypted code in use proved to be important for the papal victory. To Kanzler, the Pontiff offered a noble title of high rank, but he refused as his modest finances would not allow him to maintain a lifestyle that matched his new social status. However, the victory of Mentana did not reassure the proministro about the future, so much so