Pier Paolo Battistelli

Completing Osprey's mini-series on the German Panzer division, a detailed look at their organizational structure from the collapse of the Eastern front until the fall of Berlin. Panzer Divisions 1944–45 provides a comprehensive examination of the late-war changes to the German Army Panzer forces. It offers an in-depth look into the formation of new units, starting from the collapse on...

A focused, military biography of Heinz Guderian, perhaps the most highly respected tank commander of World War II. Guderian was a typical product of the Prussian military elite; the son of a general in the army, there was little doubt that he would follow in his father's footsteps. Some consider Guderian to be the founding father of blitzkrieg warfare, and...

This book documents the experiences of the Italian armed Fascist militia, the Camicie Nere (Blackshirts), from the Italian–Ethiopian war of 1935–36, through the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War II. It explores their origins, development, recruitment, training, conditions of service, uniforms and equipment, battle experience, political and ideological motivation. The Blackshirt legions were raised under army control...

The Balkans 1940–41 (2) offers a concise yet detailed overview, providing a balanced account of this pivotal Blitzkrieg campaign in the Balkans during the opening years of World War II. The Wehrmacht's last Blitzkrieg campaign was indeed a lightning war, requiring German forces to seize both Yugoslavia and Greece before immediately redeploying to the East in preparation to attack the...

Nicknamed 'The Desert Fox' for his cunning command of the Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel remains one of the most popular and studied of Germany's World War II commanders. He got his first taste of combat in World War I, where his daring command earned him the Blue Max, Germany's highest decoration for bravery. He followed this up with numerous successes...

By November 1918, only one Italian training unit equipped with French Schneider and Renault tanks had been formed. Consequently, during the 1920s, the Italian army had just one single tank type in its armoured inventory – the Fiat 3000. Only in 1927 was the first tank unit formed as a branch of the infantry and not as an independent organisation....

On 22 June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union and her Panzer divisions were to play a major role in this titanic struggle. Although overwhelmed by Soviet numbers, the superior skill and capability of the German Panzer divisions meant that in three months the Germans had advanced deep into Soviet territory. However, after these initial successes, the German offensive began...

A unique visual exploration of partisan and anti-partisan warfare in Yugoslavia between 1941 and 1944. Following the Axis invasion and occupation of Yugoslavia in April 1941, a brutal insurgency—based both on ethnic and political affiliations—broke out in the German- and Italian-occupied areas. The result was a protracted multi-partite struggle. The key forces opposing the Axis occupation were Tito’s communist Partisans...