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. Obviously, one of the most important elements of the Italian armed forces was the land army, and in it a significant role was played by Bersalier units (Italian: Bersaglieri), whose roots date back to the 1830s. From the moment of their creation, Bersaliers were treated as a formation of light infantry, with high mobility, capable of fighting in difficult terrain conditions. At the time of Italy's accession to World War II, there were 12 regiments of bersaliers, each of which consisted of 3 battalions. Another regiment was formed during World War II. These were undoubtedly units of much higher combat value than the average Italian infantry regiments. They were recruited for men with the best physical condition, who had already undergone intensive and exhausting training in the army, in which a lot of emphasis was placed on shooting skills and fighting in difficult terrain. From 1939, some regiments of bersaliers joined armored divisions as motorized infantry. An example is the 5th Bersalier Regiment, which was assigned to the 131st Armored Division "Centauro". Bersalier troops fought in southern France (1940), in Greece and the Balkans (1940-1941) and in North Africa (1940-1943). Several regiments also went to the Eastern Front.