The Third Italian Alpine Division was an active division with its home station at Udine, Italy. It comprised the 8th and 9th Alpine Regiments, and 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment. The 8th Alpine Regiment consisted of the Tolmezzo, Gemona, and Cividale Alpipe Battalions. The 9th Alpine Regiment consisted of the Vicenza, L'Aquila, and Val Cismon Alpine Battalions. The 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment had two 75/13 howitzer battalions (16 guns total) and one 105/11 howitzer battalion (8 guns total).

The division was sent to Albania at the time of the annexation and it formed part of the Scutari garrison in April, 1939. Julia was directly involved in the initial attack against Greece. It formed the left flank of the initial thrust. It broke through the advance Greek positions, then the main position. It pushed up the Aoos valley and took the village of Vovoussa on November 2, 1940. Here the division found itself at the foot of the important Metzovon pass, crossed by Larisa-Vanina road. The division had crossed 25 miles of mountainous terrain by November 2nd.

On the 3rd of November a Greek counterattack from the heights forced the Italians into a retreat that was both hasty and disastrous. After the retreat the division continued as a frontline division in Albania until it was destroyed as an effective fighting force in January, 1941. Remnants of the division were kept in the line as a battlegroup and during the conclusion of the campaign it took part in the attack on the Corinth Canal in May of 1941.

Julia was kept on occupation duty in Greece until March, 1942. During that time it was rebuilt. It was then transferred to Italy. From there it was sent to the eastern front in the Soviet Union as part of the Alpini Corps of the Italian 8th Army. It fought well until the end of 1942. It engaged in extremely intense combat on the Don River in January, 1943 and was virtually destroyed as a fighting unit. In that respect, it shared the fate of the Italian 8th Army that was destroyed during the period of December 11, 1942 through March 15th, 1943.

The Julia Division was withdrawn from the Soviet Union, returning to the Vento, Italy, area in April, 1943 for rest and rebuilding. At the time of the Italian armistice the division was still in the process of refitting at Goritzu. The division was ordered disbanded by the Germans in September 1943 after it was involved in resistance to the Germans' occupation of northern Italy.