Gruppo d'Armate Ovest

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Gruppo d'Armate Ovest ( German  Army Group West ) was the name of an Italian army group in World War II . It existed in northwestern Italy from 1939 to 1940 and led a brief campaign against France .

history

The Army Group Command West was set up on August 29, 1939 in Bra (Piedmont) and took over the 1st and 4th Army , and from June 1940 also the 7th Army as a reserve. During the so-called seat war between Germany and France, the army group had defensive tasks. When the German success became apparent during the campaign in the west , Benito Mussolini announced on June 10, 1940 that Italy would enter the war and on June 21, 1940 ordered the army group West to attack France. France signed the Compiègne armistice the next day and the armistice with Italy in Rome on the evening of June 24th.

In four days, the 1st and 4th Armies achieved only minimal gains in terrain against bitter French resistance. The focus of the attack was in the southern area of ​​the 1st Army on the coast, where Menton was captured, and on the Colle della Maddalena , in the northern area of ​​the 4th Army on the Col du Mont Cenis and the Col de Montgenèvre as well as the Little Saint Bernard , the rest the mountain front was unsuitable for a war of aggression.

On July 10, 1940, the command of the Gruppo d'Armate Est in northeastern Italy was dissolved and at the same time the Army Group West was renamed Gruppo d'Armate a disposizione and the 2nd , 4th , 6th (Po) and 8th Army Group in northern Italy . Army and a mountain corps subordinated. This army group did not take part in any acts of war; its command was dissolved on October 31, 1940.

Commander in chief

headquarters

literature

  • Vittorio Cogno: 400 anni di vita degli eserciti sabaudo e italiano - repertorio generale 1593 - 1993 . Edizioni Fachin, Trieste 1995.
  • Giorgio Rochat, Giulio Massobrio: Breve storia dell'esercito italiano dal 1861 al 1943. Einaudi, Turin 1978.
  • Filippo Stefani: La storia della dottrina e degli ordinamenti dell'esercito italiano. (Ed. Ufficio Storico Stato Maggiore Esercito-USSME, 3 vols.) USSME, Rome 1986.

Web links