The Regio Esercito’s Fatalities, 1940-1943

Abstract

The Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito) fought no less than seven conventional campaigns against five opponents on two continents between 10 June 1940 and 8 September 1943, and in which around 133,667 servicemen died or went missing. Compared to the death toll of Italy’s First World War, from  May 1915 to November 1918, this is a surprisingly low figure. It is also a misleading and superficial figure as each campaign had its own lethal dynamic. Based on the few Italian sources available, this note compares the fatality rates for the campaigns and highlights downplayed facts and unknowns; and advocates for further and innovative research in the Albo d’Oro della Seconda Guerra Mondiale.