On July 25th 1943, the reunion of the “Gran Consiglio del Fascismo” represent the end of the Fascist regime. Marshall Pietro Badoglio, proclaimed Prime Minister, gave the assurance to the German Allies of the common war politic.

At September 8th, 1943, Badoglio informs the country of the Italian surrender by a radio proclaim. Italians were confused and the Germans become infuriated. Badoglio orders his military to stop every hostilities and the Germans begin to disarm the Italian Armed Forces. Thousands of Italian soldiers are taken prisoner.

In the South of Italy the King Vittorio Emanuele III set up a provisory Government in Brindisi, while in the northern Italy the “Italian Social Republic” – or Salò Republic – emerged as an independent fascist State organized to continue the war against the Allies.

First intent of the Republican Government was the Armed Forces reorganization. In this contest Monte Rosa Division was one of the six divisions of the Italian Social Republic.

In the fall of 1943, the ability of the RSI to develop an army was put to the test. According to the agreements between Italian Government and German authorities, the Officers and the Non-Commissioned Officers were volunteers (in part war prisoners in the German’s POW camps), while the troops were formed by young conscripts (classes 1924 and 1925). Since the third week of October 1943, the training period of the Italian soldiers began at Münsingen and Heuberg, Baden-Wüttemberg.

The first group was formed by XX° Raggruppamento autonomo sciatori (XX th Skiers Group), 2nd Mountain Group Valle, (Val Leongra, Val Pescara and the Artillery Group Valle Isonzo with 37th and 38th mountain battery), the 15th Artillery Regiment and the Alpini Battalion Exilles with the Commander Lieutenant Colonel Armando Farinacci.

Intent of Marshal Graziani (Defence Minister and Commander in chief of the Italian Armed Forces) was: creating an independent and apolitical Army in according to the articles 18 and 19 of the constitutive law of the Republican National Army.

So, the Monterosa Division was formally constituted in Pavia on January 1st 1944.

With an initial combat organic of 19,952 soldiers, the Monterosa Division was structured by:

OFFICERS:	80%:	Volunteers by the Royal Italian Army (veterans from the operative theatres of Russia, Balcans and France).
	20%:	ex-officers
NCO:	70%:	Volunteers by the Royal Italian Army.
	30%:	ex-NCO
TROOPS:	Conscripts (class 1924/25) and few volunteers from Italy and from the German POW Camps.