[1] The division's lineage begins with the Brigade "Umbria" established in Palermo on 16 April 1861 with the 53rd and 54th infantry regiments.

The Sforzesca had its first encounter with Greek army forces on 28 January on the ridge over Mali i Shendellise (Scindeli).

The heavy defensive fighting, with frequent hand-to-hand combat and positions lost and recaptured several times, continued until 28 February.

After arriving in Ukraine the division was assigned to XXXV Army Corps and participated in the capture of the Ivanovka positions in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

At beginning of August 1942 the division marched to the area north of Serafimovich, establishing a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Don river up to Khutor of Yarskoy 1-y.

Together with 3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta", the Sforzesca beat off several Soviet attacks between 12 August 1942 and 1 September 1942.

[8] Although Soviet attacks were stopped, the Italians were unable to resume their offensive or expand their bridgehead as a result.

On 12 December 1942 Soviet forces began Operation Little Saturn and on 22 December large columns of Soviet tanks overran the Sforzesca and part of the division was destroyed, largely as a result of conflicting German orders, that caught the Italian division advancing forward near Verkhne-Chirskoy, when it should've been retreating to the new German defensive line near the Chir River.

[1][11] The new Sforzesca was based in Divača, Sežana and Ilirska Bistrica along the border between Italy and Yugoslavia, where it performed anti-partisan duties.