The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Livorno" established by order of the Provisional Government of the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany on 4 November 1859 with the 5th and 6th infantry regiments. On 25 March 1860 the Brigade "Livorno" entered the
Royal Sardinian Army three days after the
Kingdom of Sardinia had annexed the
United Provinces of Central Italy, which included the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Already before entering the Royal Sardinian Army the brigade's two infantry regiments had been renumbered on 30 December 1859 as 33rd Infantry Regiment and 34th Infantry Regiment.
World War I The brigade fought on the
Italian front in
World War I. On 1 October 1926 the brigade assumed the name of IV Infantry Brigade and received the 38th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna" from the disbanded
Brigade "Ravenna". The brigade was the infantry component of the 4th Territorial Division of Cuneo, which also included the
28th Field Artillery Regiment. In 1930 the division exchanged the 38th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna" for the 44th Infantry Regiment "Forlì" with the
3rd Territorial Division of Alessandria. In 1934 the division changed its name to 4th Infantry Division "
Monviso". During the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War the division's 34th Infantry Regiment "Livorno" was sent to garrison
Leros in the
Italian Islands of the Aegean. The regiment departed on 3 September 1935 and returned on 14 September 1936. In April 1942 the Livorno began to reorganize as an auto-transportable division of the North-African type for the planned
invasion of Malta scheduled for summer of that year. However due to the deteriorating situation in the
North African theater the division was reformed as a motorized unit and earmarked for the
Tunisian campaign. Once the transfer to Tunisia got underway the division was rerouted to
Sicily as the situation in Tunisia worsened. In Sicily the division initially deployed in the area of
Caltanissetta,
San Cataldo,
Aragona,
Raffadali, and
Serradifalco as the
6th Army's mobile reserve. The Livorno regrouped and made a further attempt to retake Gela two days later and the III Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment "Livorno", is recorded by its commanding officer to have made a valiant effort in the Gela Beachhead, but on 15 July 1943, the Allied armored units that attacked from west between
Valguarnera Caropepe and
Raddusa threatened to encircle the Livorno.
Raddusa was lost by the Italians on 18 July 1943 after heavy fighting, and the Livorno took a stand at the
Simeto river south of
Catania. On 22 July 1943 the Livorno division was subject to heavy coastal bombardment by British ships between
Leonforte and the mouth of the Simeto, but managed to hold its position. Failures of other Axis units in Sicily then forced the Livorno to retreat. The retreat route passed through
Agira and
Regalbuto, where the division suffered severe losses. The remnants of Livorno were sent to
Castroreale to reorganize on 30 July 1943, but because of a complete absence of supplies, the decision was made to evacuate the remnants of the division to the mainland Italy. On 1 August 1943, the Livorno division reached
Messina. From 1-14 August 1943 the Livorno was ferried to
Calabria, suffering further losses in the process. Only 4,200 troops out of an initial strength of 13,000 could be saved. In early September 1943, the Livorno returned to
Piedmont to be reformed. After the announcement of the
Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the division was disbanded by the
invading German forces on 9 September 1943, while all of its personnel was on leave. == Organization ==