Origins The dates from the
proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, following the
unification of Italy in 1861 after most of the
Papal States were seized. On 4 May 1861,
Manfredo Fanti signed the creation decree, by which the new army was to replace the previous
Royal Sardinian Army and the
Army of the Two Sicilies. The first two tasks of the new organization were the repression of
brigandage in
southern Italy against irregular and hit and run forces (mixed with bands of various criminals), who refused to accept the suppression of the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies, and the
Third War of Italian Independence. On 20 September 1870, the IV Corps captured
Rome, which had remained under Papal control up until then. On 8 February 1885, a corps of fewer than 1,000 soldiers landed at
Massaua,
Eritrea, starting the creation of an
Italian colonial empire. The Italian advance of the
First Italo-Ethiopian War was halted at the
Battle of Adwa by overwhelming Ethiopian forces. The following year, as part of the Italian collaboration with the international pacification program after the revolt against the Turkish domination in
Cyprus, another corps disembarked at
Candia. On 14 July 1900, another expeditionary force was constituted to suppress the
Boxer Rebellion in
China in defense of the European protectorates. On 3 October 1911, Italy invaded Libya as part of the
Italo-Turkish War. The war against the
Ottoman Empire ended with the signing of the
First Treaty of Lausanne in
Ouchy, near
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Military Justice in the Royal Italian Army In the Italian Royal Army, military justice was applied on the based on the 1870 Military Penal Code regulations. This regulation structure was very similar to the 1859 version which was inspired by the
Royal Sardinian Army penal code of 1840 which preceded the
Albertine Statute of 1848. These regulations and factors were determined to be inadequate in the face of direct war violence. In total, 4,028 death sentences were passed in the Royal Italian Army whereas 2,967 were issued absentia where 750 were followed through and completed and 311 were not.
World War I The Royal Italian Army's first experience with
modern warfare was in
World War I, from 1915–1918. The war was fought mostly on the
Italian Front in
Northern Italy, costing the Italian Army serious casualties, including 246,133 killed, 946,640 wounded, 569,210 captured and 70,656 missing. The Italian 35th Division served on the
Macedonian Front as part of the
Allied Army of the Orient. Some Italian divisions were also sent to the
Western Front. In 1918, Italian troops saw intense combat during the German spring offensive. Italian soldiers also saw action in campaigns against the Ottoman Empire in Africa and the Middle East such as in the
Senussi campaign. Overall, the Royal Italian Army suffered 460,000 to 709,000 killed and 947,000 to 1,050,000 wounded during World War I.
Interwar period During the
Interwar period, the army was initially focused on
border security in the
Alps and on the
Italian-Yugoslav border. It supported
Benito Mussolini's
Fascist regime because of its expansionist ideology and reversal of previous governments' defense cuts. In the 1930s, the army participated in the
final subjugation of Libya, participated in the
invasion of Ethiopia, provided troops and materials for the Corps of Volunteer Troops () to fight in the
Spanish Civil War, and participated in the
Italian invasion of Albania.
World War II The (Royal Army) was one of the
largest ground forces in World War II, during which it was one of the pioneers of the use of
paratroopers. Many Italian divisions were reinforced by a
MVSN of two battalions due to the small size of the divisions. In 1943, Italy surrendered and split into the
Italian Social Republic, which fielded its own army, the (
National Republican Army). On the other side was the (
Italian Co-Belligerent Army), the army of the Italian Royalist forces, fighting on the side of the
Allies in southern Italy after the
Allied armistice with Italy in September 1943. The Kingdom was ultimately replaced by the
Italian Republic in the
1946 Italian institutional referendum, and the Royal Army accordingly changed its name to become the (
Italian Army).
Timeline •
1861 – The dates from the
proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, following the unification of
Italy in 1861 after the
Papal States were seized. On 4 May 1861,
Manfredo Fanti signed the creation decree, by which the new army was to replace the previous
Royal Sardinian Army and the Army of the Two Sicilies. The first two tasks of the new organization were the repression of brigandage in southern Italy against irregular and hit and run forces (mixed with bands of various criminals), who refused to accept the suppression of the
Kingdom of Two Sicilies, and the
Third War of Italian Independence. •
1870 – On 20 September the IV Corps capture
Rome, which had remained under
Papal control up until then. •
1885 – On 8 February fewer than 1,000 soldiers landed at
Massaua, Eritrea, starting the creation of an Italian colonial empire. The Italian advance was halted at the
Battle of Adwa by overwhelming
Ethiopian forces. The following year, as part of the
Italian collaboration with the international pacification program after the revolt against the
Turkish domination in
Cyprus, another corps disembarked at Candia. •
1900 – On 14 July another expeditionary force was constituted to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in China in defense of the European protectorates. •
1911 – On 3 October Italy invaded Libya as part of the Italo-Turkish War. The war against the
Ottoman Empire ended with the signing of the First Treaty of
Lausanne in
Ouchy, near Lausanne, Switzerland. •
1915–1918 – The Royal Italian Army's first experience with modern warfare was in
World War I. The war was fought mostly on the
Italian Front in Northern Italy, costing the Italian Army serious casualties, including about 600,000 dead. •
1918–1939 – During the
Interwar period, the army participated in the final subjugation of
Libya, participated in the invasion of
Ethiopia, provided troops and materials for the Corps of Volunteer Troops () to fight in the Spanish Civil War, and participated in the Italian invasion of Albania. •
1940 – The Italian Royal Army had 1,630,000 men divided into 73 separate divisions. Out of these 73, there are 59 infantry divisions, six Alpini divisions, three Celere divisions, three armored divisions plus numerous Frontier Guard and coastal sector. The main cause of the Italian army's suffering was due to inadequate equipment, weaponry and leadership. This deficiency ultimately led to numerous defeats in the year 1940. • The (Royal Army) was one of the largest ground forces in World War II, during which it was one of the pioneers of the use of paratroopers. Many Italian divisions were reinforced by a MVSN of two battalions due to the small size of the divisions. •
1943 – Italy surrendered and split into the Italian Social Republic, which fielded its own army, the (National Republican Army). On the other side was the (Italian Co-Belligerent Army), the army of the Italian Royalist forces, fighting on the side of the Allies in southern Italy after the Allied armistice with Italy in September 1943. •
1946 – The Kingdom was ultimately replaced by the
Italian Republic in 1946, and the Royal Army accordingly changed its name to become the (Italian Army). ==Main campaigns==