Its origins lie in the 8th Army Corps Command based at
Napoli, formed as a territorial jurisdiction on 22 March 1877. Between 1927 and 1940, it was based in
Rome as the
Rome Army Corps (VIII) (''Corpo d'Armata di Roma (VIII)''). With the Italian entry into
World War II on 10 June 1940, VIII Army Corps was moved to
Piedmont under the
Seventh Army. Returning briefly to Rome, it was sent to
Albania in early November 1940 to participate in the
Greco-Italian War under the
Eleventh Army. During January and February 1941, the corps held a front sector at
Tepeleni. It took part in the failed
Italian Spring Offensive in March, and in the Italian advance once the Greek retreat began in mid-April as a result of the
German invasion of Greece. after the Greek capitulation, the corps was moved into Greece in May. VIII Corps remained in Greece on occupation duties, still under Eleventh Army command, with its headquarters at
Xylokastro, until the
Italian armistice in September 1943, when it was disbanded. ==Orders of battle==