Hearts of Iron Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Italy / Italia
Flag of Italy
Culture Italian
Capital Rome (2)
Government Fascist
Religion Catholic

Italy (Italia) starts with modern-day Italy, Libya, Eritrea and Somalia, but with the Fascist leadership under Mussolini, they are out to restore the old Roman Empire as an Italian Empire.

Historical background[]

Italy had completed conquests (Ethiopia and Albania) prior to its entry into World War II. Despite the Pact of Steel with Nazi Germany, Italy did not join in the war until June 1940, planning to get a share of Allied territory with the defeat of France. Italy's war effort went poorly, resulting in defeats in Greece, North Africa, Ethiopia, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Allies started to invade Italy in the summer of 1943 and Mussolini's government collapsed.

The new royal government of Marshal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice with the allies, but most of the country was quickly occupied by the Germans, who established a puppet government under Mussolini in the north, the Italian Social Republic (also known as the Salò Republic, from its headquarters). Badoglio and the king escaped to Brindisi without giving any order to the army, which surrendered to the Germans without putting up a fight. The royal government remained in control of the south, declared war on Germany, and was eventually re-established as the government of all of Italy shortly before the end of the war in the spring of 1945. Significant partisan actions took place in northern Italy. Italy would become a member of NATO after the war, but lost the region of Istria and the Dalmatian city of Zadar to Yugoslavia, and all its colonies excluding Somalia.

Technology[]

Brief overview of nation's technological capabilities.

Diplomacy[]

Italy political

Italy's political overview.

Italy starts at war with Ethiopia, which is something they will be focusing on for the first months of the game. The Italian technological superiority pretty much guarantees that they will win the war. The new transportation mechanics makes it less of a hassle to strengthen this theatre, and less of a hassle to move back troops afterwards.

Alliances[]

Italy starts not in an alliance and has no puppets

Decisionsolitics[]

1201px-NF tree Italy

Italy has an interesting national focus tree with ten different entry points.

Here you can put some stuff that relates to the political situation in-game in 1936 and following years.

National spirits[]

Italy starts with two national spirits.

  • Vittoria Mutilata, which increases their fascist political leanings, and make them less likely to fall for democracy or communism.
  • King Victor Emanuel III, the King provides +5 base stability.
  • London Naval Treaty Signatory
  • Military industry, giving Armored, Weapons and Equipment, Artillery, Anti-Air, Anti-Tank, and Motorized Artillery and all Air and Navy -15% research speed.
  • Ricostruzione Industriale, making civilian factories construct 5% faster, makes Aircraft, Tank, Naval, and Material designers 15% cheaper to assign, and making the Industrial designer 35% cheaper to assign.
  • Regio Esercito/Esercito Italiano, making divisions slower, have less organization overall, higher organization loss when moving, increasing max entrenchment, and making land doctrines require a bit more Army XP to unlock.

National focus[]

Italy has an interesting National Focus tree with ten different entry points.

  • Ethiopian War Logistics - A smaller tree which focuses on industrial build up and colonial infrastructure.
  • Italian Highways - Focuses on the industry in the homeland and allows you to upgrade either be the Northern or the Southern part of the peninsula.
  • Army Primacy - Allows the modification and upgrade to the Regio Esercito/Esercito Italiano national spirit.
  • Air Innovations - Allows the modification and upgrade to the Regia Aeronautica/Aeronautica Italiana national spirit.
  • Naval Power Projection - Allows the modification and upgrade to the Regia Marina/Marina Italiana national spirit.
  • Triumph in Africa - The big political and diplomatic tree, where you have lots of different choices on who to befriend and conquer. Also gives free units, generals, resources, puppets, garrisons, and a free Intelligence Agency.
  • Abyssinian Fiasco - Failure in conquering and securing Abyssinia and Ethiopia cause the people to riot, question the point of this war, and many minds to believe Mussolini's Fascism is failing Italy and that Democracy and Communism will restore Greater Italy.
  • Struggle in Ethiopia - Failure in conquering and securing Abyssinia and Ethiopia in time caused Mussolini's reputation a small dent, but now you can restore the monarchy eother under Italo Balbo, A military buildup and Libyan improvements, Dino Grandi, an alternative fascism, eliminating Benito and become the new Il Duce or spreading fascism throughout the world and crating a greater Italy, or Convening the Grand Council, Deposing with Benito, and restoring the Kingdom of Italy, or the Grand Council of Fascism, where you can make Italy prepare an industry and make a navy of the 1900-1920's, disbanding or utilizing the old Blackshirts, declare a Christian Democracy or elect a democratic king, and strengthening the Papacy.

Laws[]

Limited Conscription

Limited Exports

Partial Mobilization

Ministers[]

Intelligence[]

Brief overview of nation's intelligence capability in 1936.

Economy[]

Here you can type some informative bits about this nation's economy in-game in 1936 and following years.

Industrial Production[]

19 Military Factories

20 Civilian Factories (9 spent on consumer goods)

11 Naval Dockyards

1 Fuel Silo

Military[]

Italy navies

Italy's navies overview.

Army[]

Italy has 39 divisions in 1936, but while that looks strong, it is due to them moving to binary divisions earlier, so each of their divisions has less punching power.

Motorized[]

Year Name Type
1936 SPA Dovunque 41 Motorized I
1941 Fiat 665NM protetto Mechanized I
1943 Breda 61 Mechanized II
1945 SPA Dovunque 35 protetto Mechanized III

Tanks[]

Name Type Techyear Tank Destroyer / SP-Artillery / Armored AA Variants
Great War Tank 1918 None
L3 Light Tank I 1934 None
L6 Light Tank II 1936 None
L8 Light Tank III 1941 None
M15 Medium Tank I 1939 M.43 105/25 (TD) / M15/42 Carro Contraereo (AAA)
M16 Medium Tank II 1941 None
M20/43 Medium Tank III 1943 None
P75 Heavy Tank I 1934 None
P26 Heavy Tank II 1941 None
P43 Heavy Tank III 1943 None
Il Duce Superheavy Tank 1943 None
P45 MBT 1945 None

Navy[]

The navy is rather strong with 2 battleships, 8 heavy cruisers & 80 smaller ships, but is not modern either.

Naval Units[]

Name Type Techyear
? Destroyer I 1922
? Destroyer II 1936
? Destroyer III 1940
? Destroyer IV 1944
? Light Cruiser I 1922
? Light Cruiser II 1936
? Light Cruiser III 1940
? Light Cruiser IV 1944
? Heavy Cruiser I 1922
? Heavy Cruiser II 1936
? Heavy Cruiser III 1940
? Heavy Cruiser IV 1944
? Battlecruiser I 1922
? Battlecruiser II 1940
? Battleship I 1922
? Battleship II 1936
? Battleship III 1940
? Battleship IV 1944
? Super-heavy Battleship I 1936
? Super-heavy Battleship II 1944
? Carrier I 1922
? Carrier II 1936
? Carrier III 1940
? Carrier IV 1944

Air Force[]

The Air Force have about 300 fighters and 400 bombers in 1936, but it is not modern.

Light Airframe[]

Name Type Techyear Carrier Variant
CR.32 Great War Fighter 1933
C.200 Saetta Fighter I 1936
C.202 Folgore Fighter II 1940
G.55 Centauro Fighter III 1944
? Jet Fighter I 1945
? Jet Fighter II 1950
Breda Ba.65 CAS I 1936
Breda Ba.88 Lince CAS II 1940
Breda Ba.201 CAS III 1944
SM.79 Sparviero Naval Bomber I 1936
SM.84 Naval Bomber II 1940
SM.89 Naval Bomber III 1944

Medium Airframe[]

Name Type Techyear
Ca.101 Tactical Bomber I 1933
BR.20 Cicogna Tactical Bomber II 1936
Z.1007bis Alcione Tactical Bomber III 1940
Z.1018 Leone Tactical Bomber IV 1944
? Jet Tactical Bomber I 1945
? Jet Tactical Bomber II 1950
Ro.57 Heavy Fighter I 1936
Ro.58 Heavy Fighter II 1940
SM.92 Heavy Fighter III 1944

Heavy Airframe[]

Name Type Techyear
P.50 Stategic Bomber I 1936
P.108B Strategic Bomber II 1940
P.133 Stategic Bomber III 1944
? Jet Stategic Bomber I 1950

Strategies and Guides[]

Put strategies and guides here to help others play this nation. Please post individual guides under its own subheader.

Example Strategy[]

Build 2 dockyards and then build only civilian factories for 18+ months. As italy you should focus on winning the war in Africa as soon as possible. To do this you need to secure the Mediterranean so you can send supplies and troops to North Africa. To do this I recomend waiting until the capitulation of France to avoid losing ships against their formidable Mediterranean fleet. During this time I like to build up as much radar coverage as possible in the Med. Once France falls you, send out your entire fleet to a sea zone you have radar in (this will give you an advantage in spotting) while simultaneously using fighters and naval bombers to cover the area. After this, the Brits will likely attack with their capital Med fleet and likely be defeated. I like to have 1-2 carriers, a few battleships, some cruisers and a few dozen destroyers. Once the Med is secure, it should be relatively easy to use your first rate army to push back the sparse allied colonial garrisons (it will be good to have smaller and mobile because once you push into central Africa the front can be very long). I recomend investing in heavy fighters in the early game to help cover the large African and Mediterranean Sea Zones.

Hope this helps!

Miscellaneous tips[]

- Italy can vacate Eritrea at the start of the game, giving it to Ethiopia, to skip the focus "African war logistics"

Advertisement