Formation In 1859, after the conclusion of the
Second Italian War of Independence, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire was forced to cede the Western half of the
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, the region of
Lombardy, to the
Second French Empire, which transferred the region to the
Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1860 the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the
United Provinces of Central Italy, which included the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In 1861, after
Giuseppe Garibaldi's
Expedition of the Thousand the Kingdom of Sardinia annexed the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which allowed the Sardinians to
proclaim the Kingdom of Italy on 17 March 1861. With the
Unification of Italy nearly complete the
Royal Italian Army began to form new regiments in the annexed territories. On 1 August 1862 the
1st Grenadiers Regiment (
Grenadiers of Sardinia Brigade),
3rd Grenadiers Regiment (
Grenadiers of Lombardy Brigade), and
5th Grenadiers Regiment (
Grenadiers of Naples Brigade) ceded each two companies to help form the 7th Grenadiers Regiment (
Grenadiers of Tuscany Brigade). To complete the new regiment the 19th Infantry Regiment and
20th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Brescia" and the
22nd Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Cremona" and 34th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Livorno" ceded each one company, while the 27th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Pavia" ceded a
depot company. On the same date the
2nd Grenadiers Regiment (Grenadiers of Sardinia Brigade), 4th Grenadiers Regiment (Grenadiers of Lombardy Brigade), and
6th Grenadiers Regiment (Grenadiers of Naples Brigade) ceded each two companies to help form the 8th Grenadiers Regiment (Grenadiers of Tuscany Brigade). To complete the new regiment the 55th Infantry Regiment and 56th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Marche" and the
57th Infantry Regiment and 58th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Abruzzi" ceded each one company, while the 49th Infantry Regiment of the
Brigade "Parma" ceded a depot company. The two new regiments were mustered and initially based in
Milan. In February 1917 the infantry regiments of the Brigade "Toscana" ceded both two companies to help from the infantry regiments of the newly formed
Brigade "Murge". In May 1917 the brigade fought in the
Tenth Battle of the Isonzo in the
Monfalcone sector and in August of the same year in the
Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo along the
Timavo river near
Duino. In December 1917 the brigade operated on the
Sette Comuni plateau on the slopes of
Col d'Echele and
Col de Rosso. In June 1918 the brigade was in the
Adamello sector and fought on the slopes of the
Cornone di Blumone. In October 1918 the brigade was deployed on the
Piave river for the
Battle of Vittorio Veneto and after the breakthrough of the Austro-Hungarian lines the brigade advanced to the
Tagliamento river.
Interwar years On 1 November 1926 the Brigade "Toscana" was renamed
VII Infantry Brigade. The brigade was the infantry component of the
7th Territorial Division of Brescia. On the same date the brigade's two infantry regiments were renamed 77th Infantry Regiment "Toscana", respectively 78th Infantry Regiment "Toscana". The VII Infantry Brigade also included the 50th Infantry Regiment "Parma" from the disbanded
Brigade "Parma". In 1934, the 7th Territorial Division of Brescia changed its name to
7th Infantry Division "Leonessa". A name change that also extended to the division's infantry brigade. In 1935–36 the regiment provided eight officers and 515 enlisted to the
62nd Infantry Regiment "Sicilia", which was deployed to East Africa for the
Second Italo-Ethiopian War. The regiment also provided personnel for the formation of the LXX Replacements Battalion and the X Special Battalion, which were deployed to East Africa in support roles. Both battalions were assigned to the
Motorized Brigade "Friuli" and consisted of a command, a command and services company, three motorized companies, and a heavy mortar company equipped with towed 120mm Mod. 63 mortars. The regiment's III Battalion was put into reserve status and its equipment stored in
Arezzo with the
225th Infantry Regiment "Arezzo", which was the training battalion of the Motorized Brigade "Friuli". In case of war the battalion would have been activated as 35th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Pistoia", which would have received the flag and traditions of the 35th Infantry Regiment "Pistoia".
Recent times On 1 January 1991 battalion was reorganized as a mechanized unit and renamed 78th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Lupi di Toscana". The battalion consisted now of a command, a command and services company, three mechanized companies equipped with
M113 armored personnel carriers, and a mortar company equipped with
M106 mortar carriers with 120mm Mod. 63 mortars. On 14 September 1992 the 78th Mechanized Infantry Battalion "Lupi di Toscana" lost its autonomy and the next day the battalion entered the reformed 78th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" as I Mechanized Battalion. From 20 August to 5 December 1993 one company of the regiment participated in the
United Nations Operation in Somalia II. After the company's return to Italy the regiment was awarded a Silver Medal of Army Valor for the company's conduct in Somalia. On 5 September 1995 the 78th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" was disbanded and the flag of the regiment was transferred on 6 September to the Shrine of the Flags in the
Vittoriano in Rome. On 1 July 1998 the regiment was reformed in Scandicci as 78th Volunteer Training Regiment "Lupi di Toscana", but it was once more disbanded on 31 March 2008.
Reactivation On 1 October 2022, the name, flag and traditions of the 78th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Vittorio Veneto" of the
Division "Vittorio Veneto". On the same day the unit was renamed 78th Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Lupi di Toscana". == Organization ==