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 Airmobile Brigade "Friuli" is an airmobile brigade of the Italian Army, based mainly in the Emilia-Romagna region. The brigade was part of the 1st Defence Forces Command until it was transferred to the Division "Friuli". The brigade's coat of arms depicts a stylized version of the Rocca di Monfalcone castle near the city of Monfalcone in the Friuli region, where the brigade distinguished itself during World War I. Since 1 July 2019 the brigade is part of the Division "Vittorio Veneto".
The 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" was a Cavalry or "Celere" (Fast) division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and during World War II was mobilized in June 1940. As a cavalry division it took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia and was part of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia. Annihilated during the Red Army's Operation Little Saturn in December 1942, the survivors returned to Italy in spring 1943.
After World War II the Italian Army had two units named "Centauro": from 1952 to 1986 the Armored Division "Centauro" and from 1986 to 2002 the Armored Brigade "Centauro". Both units were successor to the World War II era 131st Armored Division "Centauro". The units' name came from the mythological race of half human-half horse creatures named Centaurs.
The Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" was an armored brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were armored and mechanized cavalry squadrons groups. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Villa Opicina, with most of its units based in the Province of Trieste. The brigade's name was chosen to remember the decisive Italian World War I victory at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
The 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete" is currently the only active armored brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units are tank and Bersaglieri regiments. The brigade's headquarters is in Pordenone, and most of its units are based in the North-East of Italy. The brigade's name comes from the battering ram. The brigade draws much of its historical traditions from the 132nd Armored Division "Ariete," which fought in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. In 1948, the Ariete was reconstituted as a division and remained active until 1986. Today the brigade is part of the Division "Vittorio Veneto".
The V Army Corps was one of three corps the Italian Army fielded during the Cold War. Based in the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia the corps was the army's main combat force. The 5th Army Corps was arrayed close to the Yugoslavian border and tasked with meeting any Warsaw Pact forces that crossed the border. On the left flank of the corps the 4th Alpine Army Corps was tasked with blocking the Alpine passes and in the rear of the corps the 3rd Army Corps served as operational reserve. After the end of the Cold War the corps was reduced in size and on 1 October 1997 it became the 1st Defence Forces Command. In 2013 the COMFOD 1° was disbanded and its function and brigades taken over by the 20th Infantry Division Friuli in Florence.
The Mechanized Brigade "Mantova" was a mechanized brigade of the Italian Army. Its core units were mechanized infantry battalions. The brigade's headquarters was in the city of Cividale del Friuli and all the brigade's units were based in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2003, the "Mantova" was raised again as a division command.
The Mechanized Division "Folgore" was a mechanized division of the Italian Army. Its core units were three mechanized brigades. The brigades headquarters was in the city of Treviso.
The Battle of Pozzuolo del Friuli was fought during World War I on 30 October 1917, between the Italian II Cavalry Brigade and two infantry battalions of the Brigade "Bergamo", against two divisions of the German Imperial Army and one division of the Austro-Hungarian Army at Pozzuolo del Friuli.
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.
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 Regiment "Piemonte Cavalleria" (2nd) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Villa Opicina in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Alpine Brigade "Julia".
The Regiment "Genova Cavalleria" (4th) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Palmanova in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment was formed on 1 August 1821, with troops of the Regiment Dragoons of the King, who had remained loyal during the revolt in Piedmont in spring 1821 and were retained in service after the Regiment Dragoons of the King was disbanded on 1 August 1821. In 1871, when the Royal Italian Army's cavalry regiments were numbered according to their seniority, the regiment was numbered as if founded in 1821 and thus the fourth oldest by seniority. Later the Royal Italian Army allowed the regiment to inherit the traditions and honors of the Regiment Dragoons of the King, which today makes the regiment the oldest Italian Army cavalry regiment and the army's only unit, whose anniversary commemorates a pre-Risorgimento event. The regiment is also the Italian Army's highest decorated cavalry regiment and today assigned to the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" as the brigade's reconnaissance unit.
The Regiment "Lancieri di Montebello" (8th) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Rome. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna" and performs public duties in Rome. The regiment was formed after the Second Italian War of Independence and participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought dismounted on the Italian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded. During World War II the regiment was reformed and during World War II. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile by the regiment fought against invading German forces at the outskirts of Rome, which earned the regiment a Silver Medal of Military Valor. The regiment was reformed in 1951 and has served since then as one of the guard units of Rome. In 1997 the regiment became the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna".
The Regiment "Lancieri di Novara" (5th) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Codroipo in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete".
The Regiment "Lancieri di Milano" (7th) is an inactive cavalry unit of the Italian Army. The regiment was formed after the Second Italian War of Independence and participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought dismounted on the Italian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded. Shortly before World War II the regiment was reformed. The regiment participated in the Italian invasion of Greece and remained afterwards on anti-partisan duty in Albania, Croatia and occupied Greece. The regiment dissolved in Larissa in Greece after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile. During the Cold War the unit served as the reconnaissance group of the Infantry Division "Legnano" and after 1975 of the Mechanized Division "Mantova". In 1986 the group became the reconnaissance group of the Armored Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli". At the end of the Cold War the unit was disbanded in 1989.
The Regiment "Lancieri di Firenze" (9th) is an inactive cavalry unit of the Tuscan Army, French Army, Sardinian Army, and Italian Army. Formed in Tuscany in 1753 the regiment served in the Napoleonic Wars, during which its troops reached Madrid and Moscow. In 1848—49 the regiment fought in the First Italian War of Independence. During the Second Italian War of Independence the regiment switched allegiance from the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to the Kingdom of Sardinia and thus became the only regiment from a pre-unification state to be integrated into the Royal Sardinian Army. The regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence and during World War I it fought dismounted in the trenches of the Italian front. In World War II the regiment was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Division "Emanuele Filiberto Testa di Ferro" and served in annexed Albania, occupied Greece, and occupied Yugoslavia on anti-partisan duty. The regiment was disbanded after the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile by invading German forces. During the Cold War the unit was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto" as a tank unit. After the Cold War the regiment was disbanded in 1995.
The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Lodi" (15th) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Lecce in Apulia. The regiment was formed after the Second Italian War of Independence and participated in the Third Italian War of Independence. In World War I the regiment fought dismounted on the Italian front, the Albanian front, the Western front, and the Macedonian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded. During World War II the regiment was reformed and served in the Tunisian campaign in which it was destroyed. During the Cold War the unit served as the reconnaissance group of the Armored Division "Centauro" and after 1986 as the tank group of the Mechanized Brigade "Brescia". In 1995 the regiment was disbanded, only to be reformed in 2020 as the reconnaissance unit of the Mechanized Brigade "Pinerolo".
The Regiment "Cavalleggeri di Treviso" (28th) is an active cavalry unit of the Italian Army. The regiment was formed by the Royal Italian Army in 1909 and active during World War I on the Italian Front. Even though the regiment had earned a Silver Medal of Military Valor in the Battle of Monfalcone in 1916 it was disbanded after the war. The regiment was active again during the Cold War between 1975 and 1991. The unit's name, flag and traditions were assigned on 1 October 2022 to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Pozzuolo del Friuli" of the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli".
Italy 
