The Italian Army is the land force branch of the Italian Armed Forces. The army's history dates back to the Italian unification in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China, Libya, Northern Italy against the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I, Abyssinia before World War II and in World War II in Albania, Balkans, North Africa, the Soviet Union, and Italy itself. During the Cold War, the army prepared itself to defend against a Warsaw Pact invasion from the east. Since the end of the Cold War, the army has seen extensive peacekeeping service and combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank and among its aircraft the Mangusta attack helicopter, recently deployed in UN missions. The headquarters of the Army General Staff are located in Rome opposite the Quirinal Palace, where the president of Italy resides. The army is an all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel.
The Alpine Brigade "Cadore" was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The brigade was based in the Italian provinces of Belluno and Vicenza with its headquarters Belluno. The brigade was disbanded in 1997.
The Alpine Brigade "Orobica" was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
The Alpine Brigade "Taurinense" is a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. Its core units are Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The brigade's name "Taurinense" alludes to the Roman name Augusta Taurinorum for the city of Turin around which the brigade is based. Accordingly the brigade's coat of arms is modeled after Turin's coat of arms. The brigade carries on the name and traditions of the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense".
The Alpine Brigade "Tridentina" was a light Infantry brigade of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. Its core units were Alpini, the mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The Alpine Brigade "Tridentina" carried on the colours and traditions of the WWII 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina".
The 7th Alpini Regiment is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Belluno in Veneto. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 August 1887, the Royal Italian Army formed the 7th Alpini Regiment by splitting the 6th Alpini Regiment. The new regiment's recruiting area initially consisted of the valleys of the Bellunes Alps, Carnic Alps, Carnic Prealps, and the Western side of the Julian Alps. In 1909 the regiment was split to form the 8th Alpini Regiment and afterwards the regiment's recruiting area consisted of the Bellunes Alps.
The 8th Alpini Regiment is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in Venzone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". On 1 October 1909, the Royal Italian Army formed the 8th Alpini Regiment by splitting the 7th Alpini Regiment. The new regiment's recruiting area consisted of the Carnic Alps, Carnic Prealps, and the Western side of the Julian Alps. During World War I the regiment expanded to ten battalions, which fought separately in the alpine areas of the Italian front.
The 9th Alpini Regiment is a mountain warfare regiment of the Italian Army based in L'Aquila in Abruzzo. The regiment belongs to the Italian Army's Alpini infantry speciality and is assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The regiment was formed by the Royal Italian Army on 1 July 1921. In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia", with which it served during World War II in the Greco-Italian War, during which the division suffered heavy losses. For its service and sacrifice on the Greek Front the 9th Alpini Regiment was awarded Italy's highest military honor the Gold Medal of Military Valor. In summer 1942 the division was transferred to the Eastern Front in the Soviet Union, where it was destroyed in winter 1942-43 during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. The remnants of the division were repatriated in spring 1943. For its service and sacrifice on the Eastern Front the 9th Alpini Regiment was awarded a second Gold Medal of Military Valor. On 8 September 1943, the Armistice of Cassibile was announced and five days later, on 13 September 1943, invading German forces disbanded the 9th Alpini Regiment.
The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (Mountain) (Italian: 3° Reggimento Artiglieria Terrestre (montagna)) is a field artillery regiment of the Italian Army, specializing in mountain warfare. The regiment is based in Remanzacco in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and assigned to the Alpine Brigade "Julia". The regiment was formed in 1909 by the Royal Italian Army as 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment. In World War I the regiment's groups and batteries served on the Italian front.
The 14th Alpini Regiment is an active unit of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
The 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated, elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units. Today the traditions and name of the 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" are carried on by the Alpine Brigade "Julia".
The Comando Truppe Alpine or COMTA commands the Mountain Troops of the Italian Army, called Alpini and various support and training units. It is the successor to the 4º Corpo d'Armata Alpino of the Cold War. The Alpini are light Infantry units specializing in Mountain Combat. The subordinate units of the COMTA distinguished themselves during combat in World War I and World War II.
On March 1, 1984 the Italian Institute for Disarmament, Development and Peace (Istituto di ricerche per il disarmo, lo sviluppo e la pace in Rome published the entire Italian Army order of battle down to company level – this was justified by the radical party as one of its core demands was total disarmament of Europe, even though the data which was published was top secret. The Radical Party dissolved in 1989 and the IRDISP followed suit in 1990. But Radio Radicale has survived, and the OrBat can still be found today on the homepage of the radio.
The following is a hierarchical outline for the Italian Army at the end of the Cold War. It is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations.
The Alpini are a specialised mountain warfare infantry corps of the Italian Army, which distinguished itself in World War I fighting in the Alps against Austro-Hungarian Kaiserjäger and the German Alpenkorps. The Alpini were supported by the Mountain Artillery, which both share the Cappello Alpino as identifying symbol. Below follow tables listing the regiments, battalions and groups, companies and batteries of the Alpini and Mountain Artillery active in World War I.
With the 1975 reforms the Italian Army abolished the regimental level and replaced it with brigades made up of multiple arms. During the reform the army disbanded 48 regimental commands and reduced its force by 87 battalions. A further ten regimental commands were used to raise ten new brigade commands. Ten training centers, which for traditional reasons had carried the names of regiments, were also disbanded. The reduction in units also allowed to mechanize most of the remaining units in Northern Italy and Italy's defense strategy changed from a hold-at-all-costs territorial defense to one of mobile warfare.
The Alpini Battalion "Val Tagliamento" is an inactive battalion of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
The Mountain Artillery Group "Belluno" is an inactive mountain artillery group of the Italian Army, which was based in Pontebba in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The group was formed on 1 October 1909 by the Royal Italian Army's 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment and served with the regiment during World War I on the Italian front. In World War II the group was assigned to the 5th Alpine Artillery Regiment "Pusteria", with which it participated in the invasion of France and the Greco-Italian War.
The Mountain Artillery Group "Udine" is an inactive mountain artillery group of the Italian Army, which was based in Vacile in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The group was formed on 1 February 1915 by the Royal Italian Army's 2nd Mountain Artillery Regiment and served with the regiment during World War I on the Italian front. In World War II the group was assigned to the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia", with which it participated in the invasion of France and the Greco-Italian War. In summer 1942 the 3rd Alpine Artillery Regiment "Julia" was transferred to the Soviet Union, where it was destroyed in winter 1942–43 during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. The remnants of the regiment were repatriated in spring 1943 and invading German forces disbanded the regiment and its groups after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943.
