The Italian Army 1940–45 (1)At its peak, the Italian Army contributed 2. 5 million troops to the Axis war effort. English speaking readers tend to think of this army in terms of the North African campaign; but far more Italian troops served in other theatres. They invaded, and later bore the major burden of occupying, the Balkan countries; and Italy sent 250,000 troops to fight on the Russian Front. In this, the first of a three part study, The Italian Army 194045 (1), Philip