1st Army (Italy)

The 1st Army (Italian: 1ª Armata) was a Royal Italian Army field army, in World War I, facing Austro-Hungarian and German forces, and in World War II, fighting on the North African front.

During World War I, the 1st Army bore the responsibility of a long front from Stelvio Pass on the Swiss-Austrian Italian tri-border to the Asiago plateau. It successfully resisted the Austro-Hungarian Strafexpedition. Its sector was later reduced, limiting its role to the defense of the Trentino borders and the Verona area.

Its commanders were:

The 1st Army originated with the Army of Milan which became, in October 1914, the 1st Army. In addition to various army corps (up to five), it had available to it large units not included in the army corps: infantry and cavalry divisions and groups of Alpine troops. Even the truppe altipiani command was subsequently placed within this Army. The 1st Army during the conflict participated in conquests, various setbacks and reconquests (primarily the so-called White War) until the final battle of Vittorio Veneto.

As the 1st World War extended to Italy, this Army was placed under the command of Lieutenant General Roberto Brusati and consisted of the III Army Corps (Corpo d'Armata) of Milan under the command of Lieutenant General Vittorio Camerana and the V Army Corps of Verona under the command of Lieutenant General Florenzo Aliprandi.

Each Army Corps consisted of three infantry divisions, including field artillery and sapper units. In addition, there was a corps troop consisting of bersaglieri, alpini, cavalry, artillery and other specialists and an army troop consisting of infantry, cavalry, artillery and specialists.

The 1st Army, which now had its headquarters in Verona, was deployed from the Stelvio Pass to the Rolle Pass/Cismon or about 200 kilometers along the war front, with the III Army Corps responsible from the Swiss border to the Lake Garda area and the V Army Corps from Garda to Rolle/Cismon, where the 4th Army began its sector. This was designated the Trentino Front. According to the plans of the supreme commander of the army, the 1st Army was to maintain a strategically defensive posture, not only during the period of the war build-up, but also through the time in which the (adjacent) 4th Army under General Luigi Nava would operate from Cadore to attempt to open a route towards the Tyrol.

The 1st Army, however, was to carry out limited offensives to ensure the security of the Italian border, and occupy any enemy territory, wherever this was possible and convenient. In Cadorna's plan, the 1st Army would defend against any Austrian offensive from Trentino thus protecting (along with the 4th Army) the rear of the bulk of the Italian army which was engaged on the Isonzo Front.