The East African campaign was fought in East Africa during the Second World War by Allies of World War II, mainly from the British Empire, against Italy and its colony of Italian East Africa, between June 1940 and November 1941. The British Middle East Command with troops from the United Kingdom, South Africa, British India, Uganda Protectorate, Kenya, Somaliland, West Africa, Northern and Southern Rhodesia, Sudan and Nyasaland participated in the campaign. These were joined by the Allied Force Publique of Belgian Congo, Imperial Ethiopian Arbegnoch and a small unit of Free French Forces.
As the number of German troops committed to the North African Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps, the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the enlarged Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new Italian and German command and a succession of commands were created to manage Axis forces in Africa:
The 5th Indian Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II that fought in several theatres of war and was nicknamed the "Ball of Fire". It was one of the few Allied divisions to fight against three different armies - the Italian, German and Japanese armies.
The Battle of Keren took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended the position against British troops and Free French forces. The town of Keren, in the colony of Italian East Africa, was of tactical importance to both sides. The road and railway through Keren were the main routes to the colonial capital of Italian Eritrea at Asmara and the Red Sea port of Massawa, which surrendered to the British after the battle.
The 7th Alpini Regiment is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II.
The 1st Free French Division was one of the principal units of the Free French Forces (FFL) during World War II, renowned for having fought the Battle of Bir Hakeim.
Luigi Frusci was an Italian military officer in the Italian Royal Army during the Italian conquest of Ethiopia and World War II. He was the last Italian Governor of Eritrea and Amhara.
The Royal Corps Of Eritrean Colonial Troops were indigenous soldiers from Eritrea, who were enrolled as askaris in the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops of the Royal Italian Army during the period 1889–1941.
The 10th Infantry Division "Piave" was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. At the beginning of World War II Piave was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had some motorized transport, but not enough to move the entire division at once. On 15 July 1941 the division reorganized to a fully motorized division and was renamed 10th Motorized Division "Piave". The division was named after the river Piave, where during World War I Italy and Austria fought three major battles. The division had its recruiting area in Veneto and its headquarters in Padua. Its two infantry regiments were based in Vicenza (57th) and Padua (58th), with the division's artillery regiment also based in Padua.
The Battle of Agordat was fought near Agordat in Eritrea from 26 to 31 January 1941, by the Italian army and Royal Corps of Colonial Troops against British, Commonwealth and Indian forces, during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. The British had the advantage of breaking Italian codes and cyphers before the offensive and received copious amounts of information from Italian sources on the order of battle and plans of the Regia Aeronautica and the Italian army.
Orlando Lorenzini was an Italian general during World War II. During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Lorenzini was responsible for the Zeret massacre, in which Italian colonial troops massacred hundreds of Ethiopians and their families, after luring them out of a cave with chemical weapons.
The 12th Bersaglieri Regiment is an inactive unit of the Italian Army last based in Trapani in Sicily. The regiment is part of the Italian Army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and was last operationally assigned to the Mechanized Brigade "Aosta". The regiment was formed in 1883 by the Royal Italian Army with preexisting battalions. During World War I the regiment served on the Italian front. After the war the regiment was disbanded for short time, before it was reformed in August 1919.
The 85th Volunteer Training Regiment "Verona" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Verona in Veneto. The regiment is named for the city of Verona and was part of the Italian Army's infantry arm until it became a training unit and was redesignated as a "multi-arms unit".
The Field Artillery Regiment "a Cavallo" is a field artillery regiment of the Italian Army. The regiment carries and maintains the traditions of all Royal Sardinian Army, Royal Italian Army and Italian Army horse artillery units and includes a historic section with horse-drawn guns. The Royal Sardinian Army formed the first horse batteries in 1831, which in 1887 were merged to create the Horse Artillery Regiment. In World War I the regiment's batteries were assigned to the Royal Italian Army's four cavalry divisions, which fought on the Italian front.
The 78th Infantry Regiment "Lupi di Toscana" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Florence in Tuscany. The regiment is named for the region of Tuscany and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 4 October 2022 the name, flag and traditions of the regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Vittorio Veneto" of the Division "Vittorio Veneto".
The 57th Infantry Regiment "Abruzzi" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Capua in Campania. The unit is part of the Italian army's infantry corps and assigned to the Division "Acqui".
The 87th Infantry Regiment "Friuli" is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna. The regiment is named for the region of Friuli and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. On 4 October 2022 the name, flag and traditions of the regiment were assigned to the Command and Tactical Supports Unit "Friuli" of the Airmobile Brigade "Friuli".
Eritrea–Germany relations have existed since Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia in 1993, but they are strained by the poor human rights situation in Eritrea. Among Afro-Germans, Eritreans are now among the largest groups.
The 244th Infantry Regiment "Cosenza" is an inactive infantry unit of the Italian Army. The regiment is named for the city of Cosenza and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm.
The 20th Artillery Regiment "Piave" is an inactive field artillery regiment of the Italian Army, which was based in Maniago in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Originally an artillery regiment of the Royal Italian Army, the regiment was formed in 1888 and served in World War I on the Italian front. In 1935 the regiment was assigned to the 10th Infantry Division "Piave", with which the regiment served in World War II. After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943, the division and its regiments were disbanded on 10 September by invading German forces.
Nazi Germany 
Kingdom of Italy 
Royal Italian Army