Army of the Alps (France)


The Army of the Alps was a specialized French Army formation responsible for the defense of the frontier with Italy. Operating within the South-Eastern Theatre of Operations, it functioned as an independent command under Général d'Armée René Olry.
The formation relied on mountain infantry and fortress units manning the alpine section of the Maginot Line. During the Italian invasion of France in June 1940, the army held its positions against the Italian 4th and 7th Armies until the signing of the Armistice of 24 June 1940.

Order of battle (June 1940)

According to the official history of the French Army and the South-Eastern Theatre records, the army was organized as follows at the start of the Italian offensive:Army Headquarters