Quite deservedly, the Italian involvement in French campaign of 1940 is one of the most ignored of the war. Seeing France on the verge of collapse, Mussolini hurriedly declared war on 1 June to gain a place at the peace table (see quote).

The Italian 1st and 4th Armies, containing 25 divisions, face the rugged Alps along the Franco-Italian border. On 20 June the Italians advanced up the mountain passes, led by the Assietta Cosseria, Livorno, and Modeno divisions. They met a solid wall of French defenses and were slaughtered in World War I style attacks. Italian casualties were reported at 1,247 killed, 2,631 wounded, and 3,878 captured, plus 2,151 casualties fron frostbite. They could make no headway against the French, who lost only 37 killed.

Mussolini had his "few thousand dead." For this price, Italy gained its right to a place at a non-existent peace table and the occupation of Nice and a few mountain villages. It also gained admittance to a continuing war and three long years of rarely interrupted battlefield disasters.