Royal Italian Army (1940–1946)
Encyclopedia
.svg.png)
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Italian Royal Army was reformed in 1861 and lasted until 1946. The Royal Army started with the unification of Italy
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
(Risorgimento) and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia). It ended with the dissolution of the monarchy. The Royal Army was preceded by the individual armies of the various independent Italian states and was followed by the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
(Esercito Italiano) of the Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana).
Organization of the Army
The Italian Army of World War II was a "RoyalRoyalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
" army. The nominal Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Italian Royal Army was His Majesty King Vittorio Emanuele III. As Commander-in-Chief of all Italian armed forces, Vittorio Emanuele also commanded the Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
) and the Royal Navy (Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
). However, in reality, most of the King's military responsibilities were assumed by the Italian Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
.
Below Mussolini was the Supreme Command (Comando Supremo). The Supreme Command featured an organic staff which functioned through its defense ministries and through its various high commands. The defense ministries were based on function and included a Ministry of War, a Ministry of the Admiralty, and a Ministry of the Air. The high commands were based on geographic regions and included Army Group West, Army Group Albania, Army Group East Africa, Army Group Aegean, and Army Group Libya.
Below the Army Group were armies. Armies were typically composed of two or more corps, along with separate units directly commanded at the army level. The corps were then typically composed of two or more divisions, along with separate units directly commanded at the corps level.
The division was the basic formation of the Italian Royal Army. On 10 June 1940, the army had 59 infantry divisions, three National Security Volunteer Militia
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
(Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, or MVSN
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
) divisions, six mountain (alpini) divisions, three mobile (celere) divisions, two motorized divisions, and three armored divisions. In addition, there were estimated to be the equivalent of about nine divisions of frontier guard troops. There were also numerous colonial formations at or near the division level composed of troops from Italian Libya
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
and Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
.
Impressive on paper, most Italian divisions did not have the full complement of men or materials when war was declared in 1940. The armored divisions had lightly armed "tankettes" instead of tanks.
Binary infantry division
After a reorganization in 1938, Italian infantry division was known as "binary" division (divisione binaria). This is because Italian infantry divisions were based on two regiments instead of the three that prevailed prior to the reorganization. By comparison, German divisions had three infantry regiments. In addition to the two infantry regiments, the Italian infantry division included an artillery regiment, a mortar battalion, an engineer battalion, and a pack gun company. The division also had some division-level services and could have a division-level reserve infantry battalion.The typical infantry regiment was composed of three rifle battalions. However, some regiments had as many as five battalions. By design, each regiment had 24 heavy machine guns, 108 light machine guns, 6 81 mm mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
(Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35
Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35
Mortaio da 81/14 Modello 35 - Italian World War II infantry mortar, standard weapon of Italian Army during the war, of typical Brandt-system construction, but relatively lightweight, with good range and therefore considered very successful....
), 54 45 mm mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
(Brixia Model 35
Brixia Model 35
- Description :The Brixia light mortar is a 45 mm calibre light mortar mounted on a legged base and designed for operation by two crew. The rear legs are fitted with a pad for the gunner to lay forward on behind the mortar, or sit upon when the situation allowed. A lever allowed for operating the...
), and 4 65mm Infantry Guns (Cannone da 65/17).
The divisional artillery regiment typically had 36 field pieces by design. There was a horsedrawn battery of 12 100 mm howitzers. There was a horsedrawn battery of twelve 75 mm guns. And there was a pack horse mounted battery of 12 75 mm howitzers. In addition to the field pieces, there was a mechanized troop of eight 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. Much Italian artillery was obsolete and far too reliant on horse transport.
The mortar battalion typically had 18 81 mm mortars and the pack gun company had 8 47 mm anti-tank guns.
From 1 March 1940, an MVSN
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
Legion of two battalions was attached to most infantry divisions. This was to increase the manpower available to each division and also to include Fascist troops.
Alpini division
The personnel for the mountain (Alpini) divisions was drawn from Italy's mountainous Alpine region and tended to be of superior quality. In addition to being well trained for mountain warfare, they were expert in the handling of pack artillery.The mountain divisions differed from a standard infantry division in that each regiment had its own artillery, engineering, and ancillary services associated with the regiment on a permanent basis. This made each regiment of a mountain division relatively self-supporting and capable of independent action.
By design, a mountain division consisted of a divisional headquarters, two mountain infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a mixed engineer battalion, a chemical warfare company, two reserve mountain infantry battalions, and divisional services. The divisional headquarters included an anti-tank platoon.
Each mountain infantry regiment included its own headquarters company, with a platoon of flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s. Each regiment also included three mountain infanry battalions and regimental services. At full strength, the firepower for a mountain infantry regiment was 27 heavy machine guns, 81 light machine guns, 27 45 mm mortars, 12 81 mm mortars, and 27 flamethrowers.
The artillery regiment was split between the two infantry regiments. Each regiment was provided with a battery of 75 mm howitzers. All were transported on pack animals.
Armoured division
At the beginning of the war, the armoured divisions were filled with L3 tankettesL3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
and, as a result, were incapable of providing the armoured spearhead that the German tank (panzer) formations could. Initially, a total of about 100 "medium" M11 tanks were available. But, while these vehicles were an improvement over the L3s, they were still more like "light" tanks. In addition, they were poorly designed (main armament in a "fixed" position), far too few, too under-gunned, too thinly armoured, too slow, and too unreliable to make a difference.
By design, an armoured division included one tank regiment, one artillery regiment, one highly-mobile infantry (Bersaglieri
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
) regiment, a divisional support and anti-tank battalion, and a mixed engineer company. The tank regiment could have between three and five tank battalions. At full strength, each battalion had 55 tanks.
Once sufficient numbers of the M13/40
Fiat M13/40
The Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 was an Italian medium tank , designed to replace the Fiat L3, the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army at the start of World War II...
tanks and its upgrades were available, Italian armored divisions began to possess some offensive capability. The Italians also developed several self-propelled 75 mm gun
Self-propelled gun
A self-propelled gun is form of self-propelled artillery, and in modern use is usually used to refer to artillery pieces such as howitzers....
s on the M13
Fiat M13/40
The Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 was an Italian medium tank , designed to replace the Fiat L3, the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army at the start of World War II...
platform when the evolution in tank artillery made the 47mm gun obsolete. Like the dreaded German 88 mm gun
88 mm gun
The 88 mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognizable German weapons of the war...
, the Italians learned that a 75 mm
Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34
The Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 was an Italian anti-aircraft gun used during World War II. The designation means it had a caliber of 75 mm, the barrel was 46 caliber-lengths long and it was accepted in service in 1934.- See also :...
anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
(Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34
Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34
The Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 was an Italian anti-aircraft gun used during World War II. The designation means it had a caliber of 75 mm, the barrel was 46 caliber-lengths long and it was accepted in service in 1934.- See also :...
) or a 90 mm anti-aircraft gun
Cannone da 90/53
The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian designed cannon, and one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during World War II. It was used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun...
(Cannone da 90/53
Cannone da 90/53
The Cannone da 90/53 was an Italian designed cannon, and one of the most successful anti-aircraft guns to see service during World War II. It was used both in an anti-aircraft role and as an anti-tank gun...
) made for a lethal "anti-tank" gun. While always in short supply, 57 of the 90 mm guns were ordered to be mounted on heavy trucks (Autocannoni da 90/53) to enhance mobility. 48 guns were mounted on a M14/41 tank chassis as Tank Destroyer 90/53 (Semovente 90/53
Semovente 90/53
The Semovente 90/53 was a heavy Italian self-propelled gun and tank destroyer, used by the Italian and German Armies during World War II.-Development:...
).
Libyan division
In 1940, Italy had several divisions in Italian North AfricaItalian North Africa
Italian North Africa was the aggregate of territories and colonies controlled by Italy in North Africa from 1911 until World War II...
composed of troops native to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
commanded by Italian officers. In many ways the Libyan divisions followed the make-up of a standard binary infantry division. Each Libyan division had two colonial infantry regiments. Each infantry regiment had three infantry battalion and an Guns company (4 65/17 mm I-Guns ). The Libyan divisions also had an integral colonial artillery regiment and colonial engineering battalion. A typical Libyan division fielded 7,400 men (including 900 Italians). The artillery regiment by design included 24 65 mm, 12 75 mm, and 12 100 mm guns.
The "Maletti Group
Maletti Group
The Maletti Group was an ad hoc "mechanized" unit formed by the Italian Royal Army in Italian North Africa during the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II...
" (Raggruppamento Maletti) was an ad hoc unit composed of Libyan troops transported in trucks and was commanded by the unit's namesake, General Pietro Maletti
Pietro Maletti
Pietro Maletti was an Italian military officer who participated in World War I, the subjugation of Italian North Africa, the Italo-Abyssinian War, and World War II...
. This partly motorized unit took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt
Italian invasion of Egypt
The Italian Invasion of Egypt was an Italian offensive action against British, Commonwealth and Free French forces during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. Initially, the goal of the offensive was to seize the Suez Canal. To accomplish this, Italian forces from Libya would have...
in September 1940 and in the defense of the Nibeiwa Camp in December 1940 during Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
. In addition to 2,500 Libyan troops in 6 battalions, the Maletti Group included a colonial artillery element and 2 coy of armor: 12 M11 medium tanks and 14 L3
L3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
tankettes.
"North Africa" division
During 1942, attempts were made to increase both the fire-power and the mechanization available at the divisional level. As a result, a new "North Africa 1942" (Africa settentrionale 1942, or A.S.42) type division was developed. Similar to a standard infantry division, an "A.S.42" type division still had two infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a mixed engineer battalion, a medical section, and a supply section. But the infantry regiments could vary greatly because the basic units making up the regiment were now an expandable company. The artillery regiment sometimes included a battery of German 88 mm guns. Mobility was increased and, in theory, an "A.S.42" type division was mechanized to a higher degree than standard infantry divisions. Unfortunately, in practice, few units had the full complement of motor vehicles.Italian motor vehicles, while in short supply, tended to be of better than average quality. British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
made use of a captured Italian vehicle.
Motorised division
The motorized divisions were similar to the "North Africa" type division, but they included a regiment of highly-mobile elite riflemen (BersaglieriBersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
). The Bersaglieri actually appear to have gotten the motorcycles and trucks they were allotted.
Motor-transportable division
From the beginning of the war, some infantry divisions were theoretically fully mechanized and were designated as motor-transportable divisions. Again, in practice, few units had the full complement of motor vehicles. Other than being transported by motor vehicle, these divisions were organized like a standard infantry division, with two exceptions. Motor-transportable divisions had a larger complement of mortars and they did not have a MVSNBlackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
Legion.
In 1942, the motor-transportable divisions in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
were upgraded to become "North African" type motorised divisions. In spite of the upgrade, these divisions were still not fully motorized. The divisions tended to rely primarily on non-divisional sources for transportation and were, therefore, only part-time motor-transportable.
Cavalry division
Mobile (celere) divisions were cavalry divisions that had undergone a level of mechanization. Each division had two cavalry regiments, a highly-mobile infantry (BersaglieriBersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are a corps of the Italian Army originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army...
) regiment, an artillery regiment, and a light tank group. The squadrons of the cavalry regiments were horse-mounted and, other than a motorcycle company, the Bersaglieri were issued with bicycles. The light tank group had a total of 61 tanks. The tanks were typically L3s
L3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
or L6s.
Main Armaments
During the first years of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Italy had only small light and medium tanks (L3/35
L3/35
The L3/35 or Carro Veloce CV-35 was an Italian tank used before and during World War II. Although designated a light tank by the Italian Army, its turretless configuration, weight and firepower make it closer to contemporary tankettes....
, L6/40
Fiat L6/40
The Fiat L6/40 was a light tank used by the Italian army from 1940 and on through World War II. The official Italian designation was Carro Armato L 6/40...
, M11/39
Fiat M11/39
The Fiat-Ansaldo M11/39 was an Italian Medium Tank first produced prior to World War II. The M11/39 saw service in Africa and Italy . The official Italian designation was Carro Armato M11/39...
, M13/40
Fiat M13/40
The Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 was an Italian medium tank , designed to replace the Fiat L3, the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army at the start of World War II...
, and M15/42) tanks. When Italy declared war in 1940, Italy's armored divisions were still composed of hundreds of L3 tankettes. These vehicles were hardly on par with the Allied tanks available in 1939 and were seriously out-classed by 1942. Better Italian tanks were produced but they were generally only available in limited numbers. Italian tanks typically suffered from poor main armaments and thin, bolted-on armour.
Only in summer of 1943 did the Italians develop a heavier tank (the P40
P40 tank
The P40 was an Italian World War II tank design. It was armed with a 75 mm gun and an 8 mm Breda machine gun, plus another optional machine gun in an anti-aircraft mount. The official Italian designation was Carro Armato P 26/40...
) http://www.comandosupremo.com/CarroP40.html. But, even while the P40 was in the same class as contemporary M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
, only five P40s were ready for combat before Italy signed the armistice that same year. The Germans acquired and used the few P40s which were produced.
To supplement the difficiencies of the main armaments on most tanks, the Italian Army made use of self-propelled gun
Self-propelled gun
A self-propelled gun is form of self-propelled artillery, and in modern use is usually used to refer to artillery pieces such as howitzers....
s like the Semovente 75/18
Semovente 75/18
The Semovente 75/18 was an Italian self-propelled gun of the Second World War. It was built by mounting the 75 mm Obice da 75/18 modello 34 mountain gun on the chassis of a M13/40 or M14/41 tank. The first 60 were built using the M13/40 chassis and a subsequent 162 were built on the M14/41...
and the Semovente 75/34
Semovente 75/34
The Semovente 75/34 was an Italian self-propelled gun in use during World War II. It was built by mounting a 75 mm L34 gun on the chassis of a M15/42 tank. 192 were built before the Italian surrender in September 1943. The vehicle was never used in combat by the Italian army...
.http://www.comandosupremo.com/Semovente7518.html. The Italians also fielded some reliable armoured cars like the AB 41
AB 41
The Autoblinda 41 was an Italian armored car in use during World War II. It was armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxial 8mm machine gun in a turret similar to the one fitted to the Fiat L6/40, and another hull mounted rear-facing 8mm machine gun.-Description:The AB 41 was based...
.http://www.wwiivehicles.com/italy/armored-cars/ab-40-ab-41-ab-43.asp
While Semovente 75/18s were available in some numbers in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, the more potent Semovente 75/34
Semovente 75/34
The Semovente 75/34 was an Italian self-propelled gun in use during World War II. It was built by mounting a 75 mm L34 gun on the chassis of a M15/42 tank. 192 were built before the Italian surrender in September 1943. The vehicle was never used in combat by the Italian army...
s, Semovente 90/53
Semovente 90/53
The Semovente 90/53 was a heavy Italian self-propelled gun and tank destroyer, used by the Italian and German Armies during World War II.-Development:...
s, Semovente 105/25
Semovente 105/25
The Semovente 105/25 was an Italian tank destroyer in use during World War II. It was constructed by mounting a 105 mm gun that was 25 calibers long in a widened chassis from a M15/42 tank. 30 were built by Fiat-Ansaldo and delivered in 1943 before the Italian surrender in September that year...
s, and Semovente 149/40 were available in limited numbers or not at all prior to the armistice. Like the P40, the Germans acquired the few better quality self-propelled guns manufactured prior to the armistice and even continued to manufacture some after the armistice.
The main infantry weapons were Carcano
Carcano
Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian bolt-action military rifles and carbines. Introduced in 1891, this rifle was chambered for the rimless 6.5x52mm Mannlicher-Carcano Cartuccia Modello 1895 cartridge. It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin...
rifles, Beretta
Beretta
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...
pistols and Breda machine gun.
History before WWII
Mussolini's Under-Secretary for War Production, Carlo FavagrossaCarlo Favagrossa
Carlo Secillano Favagrossa, during the World War II-era, was the Italian Under-Secretary for War Production. Participated in the Spanish civil war on the side of Francisco Franco....
, had estimated that Italy could not possibly be prepared for a war until at least October 1942. Although the Kingdom of Italy was considered a major power, Italian industry was relatively weak compared to other major powers in Europe
Military production during World War II
Military production during World War II was a critical component to military performance during WWII. Over the course of the war, the Allied countries outproduced the Axis countries in most categories of weapons.-Gross domestic product :...
. In 1940, Italian industry probably was no more than 15% of that of France
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
or of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The lack of a stronger automotive industry made it difficult for Italy to mechanize its military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
.
In the newly created Italian Empire
Italian Empire
The Italian Empire was created after the Kingdom of Italy joined other European powers in establishing colonies overseas during the "scramble for Africa". Modern Italy as a unified state only existed from 1861. By this time France, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and the Netherlands, had already carved...
, Italy had used most of the economic and military resources available during the conquest of Ethiopia
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
from 1935 to 1936, during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
from 1936 to 1939, and during the invasion of Albania
Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...
in 1939. In the early 1930s, the Italian Royal Army successfully fought an Arab guerrilla war in Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa
Italian North Africa was the aggregate of territories and colonies controlled by Italy in North Africa from 1911 until World War II...
(Africa Settentrionale Italiana, or ASI). The Italians fought another guerrilla war in Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
(Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI) between 1936 and 1940.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Most important of all, the Italian generals were trained to the trench warfare of World War I and were not prepared at all for the new style of mechanized war based on the German "lightning war" model (blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
).
From 1936 to 1939, Italy participated on the side of Spanish General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. The 50,000 to 75,000 strong "Corps of Volunteer Troops
Corpo Truppe Volontarie
The Corps of Volunteer Troops was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support General Francisco Franco and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War...
" (Corpo Truppe Volontarie
Corpo Truppe Volontarie
The Corps of Volunteer Troops was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support General Francisco Franco and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War...
, or CVT) was of significant assistance to the Spanish Nationalist cause and was involved in the Aragon Offensive
Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive was a Nationalist campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended on April 19, 1938...
and the "March to the Sea." Unfortunately for the Italian Royal Army, a large number of Italian weapons and supplies were utilized by the CVT or provided to Spanish Nationalists forces during this conflict.
In 1939, Italy conquered
Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...
the small nation of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
without difficulty and forced King Zog to flee. As would be expected, Italy suffered few casualties. But this occupation stretched to the limit the resources of the Italian Royal Army. In spring 1940, the available oil resources for possible military operations (of the Army and Navy) were for only one year. http://www.regiamarina.net/others/fuel/fuel_us.htm
History during World War II
Unlike German dictator Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
was officially only the Prime Minister
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. King Victor Emmanuel III remained Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Royal Armed Forces. Hence, Mussolini needed the consent of the King (who always looked at France as the center of European politics) to declare war and enter the Second World War. Initially the King and his staff (conscious of the Italian lack of preparation to war) did not approve Mussolini's intentions, but when France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was clearly defeated in June 1940, the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) was abruptly sent to war.
Mussolini made the mistake to believe that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
would accept peace agreements with the Axis after France's surrender, and did not anticipate a long lasting war. Consequently, Italy entered the war inadequately prepared.
Initial campaigns
Italy declared war on 10 June 1940 and initially the Royal Army started a campaign with limited advances in the AlpsAlps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
against the French Army. But the French were not quickly defeated on this front and all advances came at a high cost to the Italian army. Only in July, after the French surrender to Germany, did the Royal Army initiate a limited campaign from Italian colonies in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
(Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
) against the British in Africa (Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
). Italian forces invaded into Egypt, Kenya, and the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
Italian conquest of British Somaliland
The Italian conquest of British Somaliland was a military campaign in the Horn of Africa, which took place in August 1940 between forces of Italy and those of Great Britain and its Commonwealth...
. Indeed in the first six months of war Italy obtained only minor conquests, as Mussolini mistakenly waited for a quick end of the war.
But soon Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
struck back at the end of that year. In December 1940, British and Commonwealth forces launched Operation Compass
Operation Compass
Operation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
which, by February 1941, ended in the conquering of all of Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
and the complete destruction of a large Italian army. In January 1941, other British and Commonwealth forces launched an invasion of Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
. By November of that year, at the conclusion of the East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War II)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
, the last organized Italian troops surrendered with military honors in Gondar
Battle of Gondar
The Battle of Gondar was the last stand of the Italian forces in Italian East Africa during the Second World War. The battle took place in November 1941, during the East African Campaign...
while some Italian officers started a guerrilla war
Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia
The Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia was as an armed struggle fought from the summer of 1941 to the autumn of 1943 by remnants of Italian troops in Italian East Africa, following the Italian defeat during the East African Campaign of World War II.-History:...
, mainly in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
.
In Europe, Mussolini wanted to imitate the German "lightning war" (blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
). This was the astonishingly fast way that allowed Germany to conquer in a few months Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Belgium, and France. Mussolini invaded Greece
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in October 1940. But the advances of the Royal Army were blocked by the Greek Army and bad weather. Soon Greek counter-attacks forced the Italians onto the defensive inside Albania.
In March 1941, prior to the German invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
, the Italian Royal Army launched an offensive against the Greeks which ended with few meaningful gains and at high costs. A few weeks later the Axis forces of Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria defeated in a few days the Yugoslavian army and invaded Greece. The Axis victory was swift: on April 17, 1941, Yugoslavia surrendered after only eleven days, while Greece was fully occupied in May and was placed under the triple occupation of Italy, Germany and Bulgaria.
German and Italian cooperation
After these setbacks, Mussolini accepted assistance from Hitler and the Royal Army was reinforced (and in some cases even trained to modern military tactics and organizations) by the powerful German Army (Wehrmacht Heer). The Royal Army even started to receive better and more modern armaments from the Italian industry, after the pressures from Mussolini to activate to the maximum the Italian "war machine".The result was a combined German and Italian offensive during the spring and summer of 1941 throughout the entire Mediterranean area:
- In the BalkansBalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, the Italian Royal Army conquered coastal YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and, together with the Germans, finally defeated the Greek Army which was insufficiently aided by the British. On 3 May 1941, the Italian and German Armies held a military parade in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
to celebrate their victory in the Balkans. In this parade, Mussolini for the first time boasted of an Italian Mare Nostrum, referring to the fact that the Mediterranean was becoming an Italian-dominated sea. Effectively, it remained practically Italian from December 1941, after the sinking of two English battleships in AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
by the Italian frogmen of Luigi Durand De La PenneLuigi Durand De La PenneLuigi Durand de la Penne was an Italian naval diver in Decima MAS during World War II. De la Penne was born in Genoa, where he also died.De la Penne graduated from the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno in 1934...
, until the landings of the AmericansUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
(Operation TorchOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
) in November 1942.
- In North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, the Italian Royal Army was joined by German General Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
and his Afrika KorpsAfrika KorpsThe German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
. A combined German and Italian force started a series of offensives and counter-offensives that culminated with the Axis victory of Gazala and TobrukBattle of GazalaThe Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
. By 1942, the Germans and Italians were driving towards AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Meanwhile, Mussolini sent an Italian army against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In July 1941, the "Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
During World War II, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia was a corps-sized expeditionary unit of the Regio Esercito that fought on the Eastern Front...
" (Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia, or CSIR) arrived and assisted with the German conquest of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. By 1942, Italian forces in the Soviet Union were more than doubled to become the "Italian Army in Russia
Italian Army in Russia
The Italian Army in Russia was an army-sized unit of the Italian Royal Army which fought on the Eastern Front during World War II...
" (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR). This army, also known as the Italian 8th Army," was deployed in the outskirts of Stalingrad where it was badly mauled during the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
.
In November 1942, with the arrival of the American Army in the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
, the Italian Royal Army occupied Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
and the French Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
up to the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
river. This was the last military expansion of Italy.
Defeat
The Battle of El AlameinSecond Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
, lasting from July to November 1942, was the turning point of the war for the Italian and British Army. As Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
wrote in his Memories: "...before El Alamein we had only defeats, after El Alamein we had only victories...". The Italian Royal Army fought this battle in a way that can be summarized by the sacrifice of the Division Folgore: the historian Renzo De Felice wrote that "...of the 5.000 "Folgore" paratroopers sent to Africa 4 months before, the survived were only 32 officers and 262 soldiers, most of them wounded. Before the surrender, they shot until the last ammo and the last hand-grenade...".
After the defeat at El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
, the Royal Army lost Libya in a few months. Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, just occupied together with the German Army in November 1942, was lost in May 1943.
In July 1943 Sicily was invaded by the Allies
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
and on 8 September 1943 Italy signed the Armistice with the Allies.
Army of the Badoglio government
Because of the chaotic way the Armistice was done, the Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) suffered a terrible crisis of leadership between September and October 1943. The German occupation of Italy and of Italian positions in the Balkans and elswewhere was swift and often violent. There were 73,277 casualties in those months.With King Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
and Marshal Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino was an Italian soldier and politician...
in command, the Royal Army entered the war on the side of the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. Fighting for what became known as the "Badoglio government," the Italian Co-Belligerent Army
Italian Co-Belligerent Army
The Italian Co-Belligerent Army , or the Army of the South , was the army of the Italian Royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies during World War II....
, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force
The Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , or Air Force of the South , was the air force of the Royalist "Badoglio government" in southern Italy during the last years of World War II. The ACI was formed in southern Italy in October 1943 after the Italian Armistice in September...
, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Navy
Italian Co-Belligerent Navy
The Italian Co-Belligerent Navy , or Navy of the South or Royal Navy , was the navy of the Italian royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies in southern Italy after the Allied armistice with Italy in September 1943...
were formed.
Meanwhile Mussolini organized a new Fascist army in his "Italian Social Republic
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
" (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, or RSI) in northern Italy. This army was called the Italian National Republican Army
Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano
The National Republican Army was the army of the Italian Social Republic from 1943 to 1945 that fought on the side of Nazi Germany during World War II....
(Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano
Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano
The National Republican Army was the army of the Italian Social Republic from 1943 to 1945 that fought on the side of Nazi Germany during World War II....
, or ENR). While it lasted until April 1945, the RSI never amounted to being more than a puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Casualties
Nearly four million Italians served in the Italian Royal Army during the Second World War. Nearly one half of a million Italians (including civilians) died between June 1940 and May 1945.The Royal Army suffered 161,729 casualties between 10 June 1940 and 8 September 1943 in the war against the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
. There were an additional 18,655 Italian casualties in Italy (plus 54,622 Italian casualties in the rest of Europe) between September and October 1943. These casualties were suffered against the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) after the Italian Armistice.
There were about 12,000 casualties in the northern Italian guerrilla war (Guerra di Liberazione) and in the "Italian Royal Army
Italian Co-Belligerent Army
The Italian Co-Belligerent Army , or the Army of the South , was the army of the Italian Royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies during World War II....
" on the side of the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
.
Nearly 60,000 Italian POWs died in Nazi labour camps, while nearly 20,000 perished in Allied Prisoner of War camps (mainly Russian: 1/4 of the 84,830 Italians officially lost in the Soviet Union were taken prisoners
Italian war prisoners in Soviet Union 1942-1954
Italian prisoners of war in the Soviet union is related to the POWs, from the Italian ARMIR and CSIR, and their fate in Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union during and after World War II.-Characteristics:...
, and most of them never returned home).
Divisions of the Royal Italian Army
The Regio Esercito fielded the following types of divisions: Alpini (Mountain), Armoured, Blackshirt, Celere (Fast), Coastal, Infantry, Libyan, Motorized, North African, Semi-Motorized, Airborne.
AlpiniAlpiniThe Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
Divisions
- 1 Alpine Division Taurinense1 Alpine Division TaurinenseThe 1st Alpine Division Taurinense was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army which specialised in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army consisting of both infantry and artillery units...
(France, Montenegro) - 2 Alpine Division Tridentina2 Alpine Division TridentinaThe 2nd Alpine Division Tridentina was a World War II Mountain Infantry division of the Italian Army. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
(France, Greece, Albania, USSR) - 3 Alpine Division Julia3 Alpine Division JuliaThe 3rd Alpine Division Julia was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
(Greece, Albania, USSR) - 4 Alpine Division Cuneense (France, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, USSR)
- 5 Alpine Division Pusteria5 Alpine Division PusteriaThe 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II...
(France, Greece, Albania, Montenegro) - 6 Alpine Division Alpi Graie6 Alpine Division Alpi GraieThe 6th Alpine Division Alpi Graie was a short-lived light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions where from the highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units.* 3rd...
(Montenegro)
Armoured Divisions
- 131 Armoured Division Centauro131 Armoured Division CentauroThe 131st Armoured Division Centauro was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in February 1939, by upgrading the 1st Armoured Brigade . It took part in operations in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia before returning to Italy...
(Greece, Sicily, Tunisia) - 132 Armoured Division Ariete (Libya, Egypt, Tunisia)
- 133 Armoured Division Littorio133 Armoured Division Littorio133. Armoured Division Littorio or 133. Divisione Corazzata Littorio was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1939 from the Infantry Division Littorio that had taken part in the Spanish Civil War...
(France, Yugoslavia, Libya, Egypt) - 134 Armoured Division Freccia2 Cavalry Division Emanuele Filiberto Testa di FerroThe 2nd Cavalry Division Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro was a Cavalry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was mobilised in 1940, it did not take part in the Italian invasion of France, but did serve in the Invasion of Yugoslavia in the Celere Corps and remained in...
- 135 Armoured Division Ariete II
- 136 Armoured Division Centauro II136 Armoured Division Centauro IIThe 136 Armoured Division Centauro II was an Armoured Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division had a number of different titles before settling on 136 Armoured Division Centauro II...
(Armoured Division M)
North African Infantry Divisions
- 17 Infantry Division Pavia (Libya, Egypt)
- 25 Infantry Division Bologna (Libya, Egypt)
- 27 Infantry Division Brescia (Libya, Egypt)
- 55 Infantry Division Savona55 Infantry Division SavonaThe 55 Truck-Moveable Division Savona was a North African type Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Savona Division was sent to Libya in September 1939. Its men hailed from Naples, Salerno and their surroundings. The division was not involved in the Italian invasion of...
(Libya) - 64 Infantry Division Catanzaro64 Infantry Division CatanzaroThe 64 Infantry Division Catanzaro was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Catanzaro Division was sent to Libya in October 1939, and took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940...
(Libya)
Motorised Divisions
- 101 Motorised Division Trieste (Libya, Egypt)
- 16 Motorised Division Pistoia16 Motorised Division PistoiaThe 16 Motorised Division Pistoia was an Motorised Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilized in June 1940, as an infantry division and was sent to the French border and held in reserve for the Italian First Army. In October 1941, it was motorised and sent...
(France, North Africa) - 102 Motorised Division Trento (Libya, Egypt)
- 3 Motorised Division P.A.D.A3 Cavalry Division Amedeo Duca d'AostaThe 3 Cavalry Division Amedeo Duca d'Aosta was an Cavalry or Celere Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and during World War II was mobilized in June 1940. As a cavalry division and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and was part of the Italian...
(USSR) - 136 Motorised Division Giovani Fascisti (Libya, Egypt)
- 10 Motorised Division Piave10 Motorised Division PiaveThe 10 Motorized Division Piave was an Motorised Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilised for war in July 1940, for operations in the Balkans. It later took part in the occupation of Vichy France...
- 9 Motorised Division Pasubio9 Motorised Division Pasubio9 Motorized Division Pasubio was a Motorised Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was mobilized in August 1940, and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, capturing Split and Sienih...
(USSR) - 10 Motorised Division Piave10 Motorised Division PiaveThe 10 Motorized Division Piave was an Motorised Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilised for war in July 1940, for operations in the Balkans. It later took part in the occupation of Vichy France...
(France, Rome) - 52 Motorised Division Torino52 Motorised Division TorinoThe 52 Motorised Division Torino was an Motorised Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was formed from the expansion of the Torino Brigade in June 1940...
(USSR)
Airborne Divisions
- 80 Infantry Division La Spezia (Airlanding)80 Infantry Division La Spezia (Airlanding)80 Infantry Division La Spezia was an Airlanding Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The La Spezia was formed in 1941, for the planned Invasion of Malta. When the invasion was cancelled the Division was instead was transferred to Libya in October 1942...
(Libya, Tunisia) - 184 Airborne Division Nembo184 Airborne Division Nembo184 Airborne Division Nembo or 184 Divisione Paracadutisti Nembo was an Airborne Division of the Italian Army during World War II....
(Sicily) - 185 Airborne Division Folgore185 Airborne Division Folgore185. Airborne Division Folgore or 185. Divisione Paracadutisti Folgore was an Parachute Division of the Italian Army during World War II.-History:It was formed in September 1941, as the 1 Division Paracadutisti...
(Libya, Egypt)
BlackshirtBlackshirtsThe Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
Divisions
- 1 Blackshirt Division 23 Marzo (Egypt, Libya)
- 2 Blackshirt Division 28 Ottobre (Egypt, Libya)
- 4 Blackshirt Division 3 Gennaio (Egypt, Libya)
Celere Divisions
- 1 Cavalry Division Eugenio di Savoia1 Cavalry Division Eugenio di SavoiaThe 1 Cavalry Division Eugenio di Savoia was an Cavalry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Eugenio di Savoia was mobilized in 1940, as a cavalry division and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. The Division remained in Yugoslavia in the Italian XI Corps as an occupying...
(Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian occupation) - 2 Cavalry Division Emanuele Filiberto (Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian occupation)
- 3 Cavalry Division Amedeo Duca d'Aosta3 Cavalry Division Amedeo Duca d'AostaThe 3 Cavalry Division Amedeo Duca d'Aosta was an Cavalry or Celere Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and during World War II was mobilized in June 1940. As a cavalry division and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and was part of the Italian...
(Yugoslavia, USSR)
Infantry Divisions
- 1 Infantry Division Superga (France, Tunisia]]
- 2 Infantry Division Sforzesca (France, Greece, USSR)
- 3 Infantry Division Ravenna (Yugoslavia, USSR)
- 4 Infantry Division Livorno (France, Sicily)
- 5 Infantry Division Cosseria (France, USSR)
- 7 Infantry Division Lupi di Toscana7 Infantry Division Lupi di ToscanaThe 7th Infantry Division Lupi di Toscana was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was held as part of the Army reserve in June 1940, during the Italian invasion of France. The Lupi di Toscana then took part in the Greco-Italian War where it suffered heavy losses and...
(France, Greece, Vichy France) - 12 Infantry Division Sassari12 Infantry Division SassariThe 12 Infantry Division Sassari was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Sassari Division was formed in 1937, mobilized for war in June 1940, it was based on the Italian – Yugoslavian border and after the invasion of Yugoslavia was later used on anti partisan...
(Yugoslavian occupation) - 14 Infantry Division Isonzo14 Infantry Division IsonzoThe 14 Infantry Division Isonzo was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilized in June 1940 and took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian XI Corps. After the Greco-Italian War it was based in Athens and Corynth...
(Yugoslavia, Greek occupation) - 15 Infantry Division Bergamo15 Infantry Division BergamoThe 15 Infantry Division Bergamo was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Bergamo division was part of the Italian V Corps that took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. After the invasion it was stationed in Dalmatia...
(Yugoslavia) - 18 Infantry Division Messina18 Infantry Division MessinaThe 18 Infantry Division Messina was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Messina Division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia as part of the Italian XVII Corps and captured both Cetinje and Kotor and much of the Yugoslav Royal Navy...
(Yugoslavia) - 19 Infantry Division Gavinana (Yugoslavia)
- 21 Infantry Division Granatieri di Sardegna21 Infantry Division Granatieri di SardegnaThe 21 Infantry Division Granatieri di Sardegna was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Granatieri di Sardegna Division can trace its origins to 1659 when the Duke Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy, formed a regiment of Guards. It became a unit in the national army in 1866. It...
(France, Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian occupation, Rome) - 22 Infantry Division Cacciatori delle Alpi22 Infantry Division Cacciatori delle AlpiThe 22 Infantry Division Cacciatori delle Alpi was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cacciatori delle Alpi was mobilized for war in June 1939, and as part of the Italian 1st Army took part in the Italian invasion of France. It then took part in the Greco-Italian War...
(France, Yugoslavian occupation) - 23 Infantry Division Ferrara23 Infantry Division FerraraThe 23 Infantry Division Ferrara was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Ferrara was mobilized for war in June 1939 and took part in the invasions of Albania and the Greco-Italian War with the Italian 11th Army, XXV Corps. It was then stationed in Albania and...
(Albania, Greece, Yugoslavian occupation) - 24 Infantry Division Gran Sasso (France, Greece, Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian occupation)
- 26 Infantry Division Assietta (France, Yugoslavia, Sicily)
- 28 Infantry Division Aosta28 Infantry Division AostaThe 28 Infantry Division Aosta was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Aosta Division was mobilized June 1940, and stationed in Sicily...
(Sicily) - 29 Division Peloritana (Greece, Greek occupation)
- 30 Infantry Division Sabauda (Sardinia)
- 31 Infantry Division Calabria31 Infantry Division CalabriaThe 31 Infantry Division Calabria was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Calabria Division was part of the garrison at Sardinia where it remained until it surrendered to the Allies after the Italian surrender in September 1943...
(Sardinia) - 32 Infantry Division Marche32 Infantry Division MarcheThe 32 Infantry Division Marche was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Marche Division took part in operations in Albania in March 1941. It then as part of the Italian XVII Corps took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and captured the towns of Dubrovnik and Metkovick...
(Albania, Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian occupation) - 33 Infantry Division Acqui (France, Greece, Greek occupation)
- 37 Infantry Division Modena (France, Greece)
- 38 Infantry Division Puglie38 Infantry Division PuglieThe 38 Infantry Division Puglie was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Puglie Division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and spent the rest of the was until the Italian surrender in September 1943, as an occupying force in Montenegro and then Albania.The...
(Yugoslavia, Albania) - 40 Infantry Division Cacciatori d'Africa40 Infantry Division Cacciatori d'AfricaThe 40 Infantry Division "Hunters of Africa" was an infantry division of the Italian Royal Army during World War II.-History:...
(East Africa) - 41 Infantry Division Firenze41 Infantry Division FirenzeThe 41 Infantry Division Firenze was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Firenze Division took part in the Italian invasion of France and later the Greco-Italian War as part of the Army Group Reserve. It also took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. It remained in...
(France, Greece, Yugoslavia) - 44 Infantry Division Cremona44 Infantry Division CremonaThe 44 Infantry Division Cremona was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cremona Division was part of the Italian XV Corps that took part in the Italian invasion of France in June 1940. It was transferred to Sardinia in March 1941...
(France, Sardinia, Corsica) - 47 Infantry Division Bari47 Infantry Division BariThe 47 Infantry Division Bari was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Bari Division drafted men in Bari and in the Salento and was sent to Albania in preparation for taking part in the Battle of Greece. Supported by a Battalion of the San Marco Regiment it was intended...
(Greece, Sardinia) - 48 Infantry Division Taro48 Infantry Division TaroThe 48 Infantry Division Taro was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Taro Division was part of the Italian II Corps that took part in the Battle of Greece and the Invasion of Yugoslavia. It remained in Yugoslavia as an occupation force in Montenegro and after July...
(Greece, Yugoslavian occupation, Albania, France) - 53 Infantry Division Arezzo53 Infantry Division ArezzoThe 53 Infantry Division Arezzo was a regular Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II.-WWII:The Arezzo Division took part in the Italian invasion of Albania in 1939. It was next involved in the Greco-Italian War in November 1940, as part of the Italian III Corps, suffering heavy...
(Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia) - 54 Infantry Division Napoli54 Infantry Division NapoliThe 54 Infantry Division Napoli was a regular Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Napoli Division was part of the Italian XVI Corps in Sicily. It was destroyed during the Allied landings ....
(Sicily) - 58 Infantry Division Legnano58 Infantry Division LegnanoThe 58 Infantry Division Legnano was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Legnano Division was sent to Albania in January 1941, where it remained until June when it was recalled to Italy. It then took part in the invasion of Vichy France in November 1942...
(Albania, France) - 60 Infantry Division Sabratha (North Africa)
- 61 Infantry Division Sirte61 Infantry Division SirteThe 61 Infantry Division Sirte was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Sirte Division was sent to Libya in October 1939 . In September 1940, it was part of the Italian XXII Corps that took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt and was destroyed at Tobruk during the...
(North Africa) - 62 Infantry Division Marmarica62 Infantry Division MarmaricaThe 62 Infantry Division Marmarica was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Marmarica Division was sent to Libya in October 1939. It took part in the Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940...
(North Africa) - 63 Infantry Division Cirene63 Infantry Division CireneThe 63 Infantry Division Cirene was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cirene Division was sent to Libya in October 1939...
(North Africa) - 65 Infantry Division Granatieri di Savoia65 Infantry Division Granatieri di SavoiaThe 65 Infantry Division "Grenadiers of Savoy" was an infantry division of the Italian Royal Army during World War II.-East African Campaign:...
(East Africa) - 136 Infantry Division Giovani Fascisti136 Infantry Division Giovani FascistiThe 136 Infantry Division Giovani Fascisti was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II.-History:The Giovani Fascisti Division was formed from volunteers from the Young Fascist University...
(North Africa) - 155 Infantry Division Emilia155 Infantry Division EmiliaThe 155 Infantry Division Emilia was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Emilia Division was formed in December 1941 as a Garrison division. Despite this it was sent to Dalmatia in April 1942, to assist in the occupation...
(Yugoslavian occupation) - 156 Infantry Division Vicenza156 Infantry Division VicenzaThe 156 Infantry Division Vicenza was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Vicenza was formed in January 1942 as a Garrison Division. It was then sent to the Eastern front, as part of the Italian Army in Russia to act as a reserve and carry out rear area security...
(USSR) - 158 Infantry Division Zara158 Infantry Division ZaraThe 158 Infantry Division Zara was a regular Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Zara Division formed in March 1942, was a Garrison division stationed on the Dalmatian coast. It surrendered to the Germans after the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943....
(Yugoslavian occupation)
Libyan Divisions
- Italian 1 Libyan Division SibelleItalian Libyan Colonial DivisionThe Libyan Division was a formation of colonial troops raised by the Italians in their colony in Libya. It participated in the invasion of Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The formation was reorganized into the 1 Libyan Infantry Division Sibelle by the beginning of Italy's entry into...
(Libya, Egypt) - Italian 2 Libyan Division Pescatori (Libya, Egypt)
Coastal Divisions
- 201 Coastal Division201 Coastal DivisionThe 201 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in the south of France and then pulled back into Italy and based in Genova as part of the Italian XV Corps until the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943.Coastal...
(France, Genoa) - 202 Coastal Division202 Coastal DivisionThe 202 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the...
(Sicily) - 203 Coastal Division203 Coastal DivisionThe 203 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was one of three Coastal Divisions based in Sardinia until the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943....
(Sardinia) - 204 Coastal Division204 Coastal DivisionThe 204 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was one of three Coastal Divisions based in Sardinia until the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943....
(Sardinia) - 205 Coastal Division205 Coastal DivisionThe 205 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was one of three Coastal Divisions based in Sardinia until the Italian surrender to the Allies in September 1943....
(Sardinia) - 206 Coastal Division206 Coastal DivisionThe 206 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat...
(Sicily) - 207 Coastal Division207 Coastal DivisionThe 207 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat...
(Sicily) - 208 Coastal Division208 Coastal DivisionThe 208 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat...
(Sicily) - 209 Coastal Division209 Coastal DivisionThe 209 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Puglia coastal region of Italy....
(Puglia) - 210 Coastal Division210 Coastal DivisionThe 210 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Taranto coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions were second line divisions, usually made up of men in their forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second...
(Taranto) - 211 Coastal Division211 Coastal DivisionThe 211 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Calabria coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second...
(Calabria) - 212 Coastal Division212 Coastal DivisionThe 212 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Calabria coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second...
(Calabria) - 213 Coastal Division213 Coastal DivisionThe 213 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was based in Sicily during the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat...
(Sicily) - 214 Coastal Division214 Coastal DivisionThe 214 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Taranto coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second...
(Taranto) - 215 Coastal Division215 Coastal DivisionThe 215 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in the Taranto coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and second...
(Taranto) - 216 Coastal Division216 Coastal DivisionThe 216 Coastal Division was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was located in Pisa in the Tuscany coastal region of Italy. Coastal divisions, were second line divisions, usually formed from men in there forties and fifties intended to perform labouring and...
(Pisa)
See also
- Comparative military ranks of World War IIComparative military ranks of World War IIThe following table shows comparative officer ranks of major Allied and Axis powers during World War II. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks.KEY:*Comparative military ranks of World War I*List of comparative military ranks...
- Italian Army equipment in World War IIItalian Army equipment in World War II- Infantry weapons :*Bodeo Model 1889 10.35mm revolver*Glisenti Model 1910 9mm Glisenti semi-automatic pistol* Beretta M1934 .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol |image= *Beretta M 1935 .32 ACP semi-automatic pistol |image=...
- MVSN (Blackshirts)BlackshirtsThe Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
- Italian 132nd Armored Division ArieteItalian 132nd Armored Division ArieteThe Ariete Armoured Division was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in 1939 as the second armoured division in the Italian Army after the 131 Armoured Division Centauro. The division fought in the North African Campaign until being destroyed during the...
- Regia AeronauticaRegia AeronauticaThe Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
- Royal Italian Air Force - Regia MarinaRegia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
- Royal Italian Navy - Decima Flottiglia MASDecima Flottiglia MASThe Decima Flottiglia MAS was an Italian commando frogman unit of the Regia Marina created during the Fascist regime.The acronym MAS also refers to various light torpedo boats used by the Regia Marina during World...
- Italian Co-Belligerent Air ForceItalian Co-Belligerent Air ForceThe Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force , or Air Force of the South , was the air force of the Royalist "Badoglio government" in southern Italy during the last years of World War II. The ACI was formed in southern Italy in October 1943 after the Italian Armistice in September...
- Italian Co-Belligerent ArmyItalian Co-Belligerent ArmyThe Italian Co-Belligerent Army , or the Army of the South , was the army of the Italian Royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies during World War II....
- Italian Co-Belligerent NavyItalian Co-Belligerent NavyThe Italian Co-Belligerent Navy , or Navy of the South or Royal Navy , was the navy of the Italian royalist forces fighting on the side of the Allies in southern Italy after the Allied armistice with Italy in September 1943...
- Italian Social RepublicItalian Social RepublicThe Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
- National Republican Air ForceAeronautica Nazionale Repubblicanathumb|250px|Wing emblem of the A.N.R. from 1944 to 1945.The National Republican Air Force was the air force of the Italian Social Republic during World War II, closely linked with the German Air Force in northern Italy.-Description:This air force was tasked with defending the industrial areas of...
- Italian Mare Nostrum
- East African CampaignEast African Campaign (World War II)The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....
- Italian conquest of British SomalilandItalian conquest of British SomalilandThe Italian conquest of British Somaliland was a military campaign in the Horn of Africa, which took place in August 1940 between forces of Italy and those of Great Britain and its Commonwealth...
- Italian guerrilla war in EthiopiaItalian guerrilla war in EthiopiaThe Italian guerrilla war in Ethiopia was as an armed struggle fought from the summer of 1941 to the autumn of 1943 by remnants of Italian troops in Italian East Africa, following the Italian defeat during the East African Campaign of World War II.-History:...
- Operation CompassOperation CompassOperation Compass was the first major Allied military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II. British and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces in western Egypt and eastern Libya in December 1940 to February 1941. The attack was a complete success...
- Greco-Italian WarGreco-Italian WarThe Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
- Invasion of YugoslaviaInvasion of YugoslaviaThe Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
- Battle of GreeceBattle of GreeceThe Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
- Battle of GazalaBattle of GazalaThe Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
- Yugoslavian Front (WWII)
- Italian occupation of France during World War II
- Axis occupation of Greece during World War II
- Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943Italian war in Soviet Union, 1941-1943The Italian participation in the Eastern Front during World War II began after the launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941. Barbarossa was the German war against the Soviet Union...
- Italian Campaign (World War II)Italian Campaign (World War II)The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
Sources
- Lamb, Richard. Mussolini as Diplomat
- Rodogno, Davide. Il nuovo ordine mediterraneo. Le politiche di occupazione dell'Italia fascista (1940-1943). Nuova cultura ed. Torino, 2002
- De Felice, Renzo. Mussolini l'alleato: Italia in guerra (1940-1943). Mondadori Editore. Torino, 1990
Recommended readings
- Blitzer, Wolf; Garibaldi, Luciano. Century of War. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. New York, 2001. ISBN 1-58663-342-2
- Guicciardini, Francesco. The History of Italy. Princeton University Press. Princeton, 1984 ISBN 0-691-00800-0.
- Hart, Basil H. Liddell. History of the Second World War. Putnam's Sons. New York, 1970
- Smith, Dennis Mack. Storia d'Italia. Editori Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2000 ISBN 88-420-6143-3
- Weinberg, Gerhard. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II New York, 2005 ISBN 0-521-44317-2
External links
- Official Homepage of the Italian Army
- History and photos of WWII
- Regio Esercito
- Axis History Factbook - Regio Esercito
- The German High Command, reporting the repulse of desperate Russian counterattacks in the Donets Basin, credited Italian soldiers with throwing back the attackers
- Berlin radio, credited on 10 November 1942 to Italian troops a repulse of a Russian attempt to cross the Don River
- Radio Rome report the capture of 300 British parachute soldiers by part of the Bersaglieri