The decisive influence on the shaping of the organization and tactics of the German infantry before the outbreak of World War II was, on the one hand, the experience of the previous World War, but also theoretical works created in the 1920s and 1930s, which often emphasized the need to perceive the German infantry as a tool waging an offensive war. This affected both the equipment and the organization of the German infantry division, which during the September campaign of 1939 consisted of 3 infantry regiments, each of which was divided into 3 infantry battalions, an artillery company and an anti-tank company. In addition, there were numerous support units, including: an artillery regiment with 4 artillery squadrons (including one heavy), an anti-tank battalion, a sapper battalion and a communications battalion. In total, the so-called infantry division In the first mobilization wave, there were approximately 17,700 people and had a significant artillery component, but also was abundantly equipped with machine guns. It also had modern and efficient - for those times - means of communication and command. In the course of the war, infantry divisions underwent transformation - in 1943 some of them were transformed into armored grenadier divisions. However, from 1943, the standard division of the "traditional" infantry consisted of approx. 12,500 men (and not approx. 17,700 as in 1939), and its artillery component - especially heavy artillery - was also reduced in it, while its anti-tank defense was significantly improved. It is assumed that during the entire Second World War, about 350 infantry divisions served in the Wehrmacht.
The Kingdom of Italy entered World War II in 1940, with an armed conflict with France and Great Britain. The main type of Italian land armed forces was the infantry, which at the beginning of the war numbered 59 divisions. It is worth adding that the Italian infantry divisions in 1938 underwent a deep reorganization. A single division after such a reorganization was called from the Italian " divisione binaria ". This reorganization was based on the introduction of a division composed of two infantry regiments, instead of three, which was used, for example, in the German army. Moreover, the Italian infantry division also had (after 1938) support artillery regiments, a mortar battalion, an engineer battalion and a company of anti-tank guns. Of course, there were also staff and communications units, etc. A single Italian infantry regiment usually consisted of 3 or 5 battalions. Support weapons in the Italian regiment were: 24 heavy machine guns, 108 light machine guns, 6 81 mm mortars, 54 45 mm light mortars and 4 65 mm light infantry guns (Cannone da 65/17). The artillery regiment was equipped with 36 100 and 75 mm guns. Most often they had horse traction. It is worth adding that the divisions stationed in Libya had a slightly different structure, as they had three infantry regiments (each with an artillery company) and an artillery regiment, however, consisting of only 77 mm guns. Such a division consisted of about 7,400 people. In the course of the fighting in North Africa, efforts were made to increase the motorisation of Italian infantry divisions, but with only a limited effect.