[1] On 24 August 1939 the 41st Infantry Division "Firenze" was raised in Florence as replacement for the Venezia, which was to be based permanently in the Italian protectorate of Albania.

[6] On 10 June 1940, the day of Italy's entry into World War II, the Venezia was patrolling the Albanian-Yugoslav border in the area between the Drin valley and Bulqizë.

Although the Venezia initially held the position by 4–5 November 1940 it was pushed out of Kapshticë, Bilisht and Bitincke, falling back to the Devoll river.

Consequently, the Greeks shifted the focus of their attacks on the centre and left (northern) flank of the Venezia, but without much success despite heavy fighting on 8–15 November 1940.

The Venezia tried to rectify this by pulling back its southern flank from the Devoll river, while the Greeks intensified their attacks on the retreating Italians on 17–19 November.

The division's rearguards fought a delaying battle on 1–7 December 1940 at the outskirts of Pogradec and on the southern shores of Lake Ohrid, from Kalasë to as far south as the Qafa e Vashës pass.

The outstretched southern flank of the Venezia was retreating to the north, but the rapid Greek advance resulted in some elements of the division being stranded by 9 December 1940 on the Breshenihcut mountain.

Despite these reinforcement and severe weather conditions the Venezia's positions continued to crumble, resulting in the failure of the Kungullit mountain defence on 7 January 1941.

The Venezia advanced first to Pogradec, and then turned south to Maliq and Korçë, capturing both on 15 April 1941, without meeting sustained resistance.

On 17 June 1943 the 383rd Infantry Regiment "Venezia" was assigned to the Territorial Defense Command Albania and moved to Tirana.

[7][1] After the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943, the German 118th Jäger Division and Yugoslav Chetniks demanded the Venezia disarm, but both were refused.

The division consisted of three brigades of 5,000 men each, with the remaining Italian troops, mostly artillery, signals, engineer, and medical specialists, becoming instructors.

[8] Integrated into the Partisan 2nd Corps the division fought in Yugoslavia until February 1945, when the remaining 3,800 troops were repatriated via the liberated Dubrovnik.