The regiment is named for the city of Reggio Emilia and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm.

During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division "Sabauda", with which it fought briefly against German forces after the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.

The regiment then joined the Italian Co-belligerent Army and served for the remainder of the war as an internal security unit.

In 1959, the regiment was disbanded in Sulmona in Abruzzo and then reformed in Palermo in Sicily as a recruits training unit.

The regiment's anniversary falls on 17 December 1917, the day during the First Battle of Monte Grappa the Brigade "Reggio" withstood heavy Austro-Hungarian attacks on Monte Valderoa, for which both regiments of the Brigade "Reggio" were awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.

[1][2] On 21 July 1858, French Emperor Napoleon III and the Prime Minister of Sardinia Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour met in Plombières and reached a secret verbal agreement on a military alliance between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire.

Upon Sardinia's refusal, Austria declared war on 26 April and three days later the Austrians crossed the Ticino river into Piedmont.

As a consequence of the Austrian defeat Duke Francis V fled the Duchy of Modena and Reggio on 11 June.

In 1895–96, the regiment provided nine officers and 270 enlisted for units deployed to Italian Eritrea for the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

At the time the 46th Infantry Regiment consisted of three battalions, each of which fielded four fusilier companies and one machine gun section.

The brigade quickly occupied Falzarego Pass and for the rest of the year fought against Austro-Hungarian troops, which occupied the summits of the Tofane group and the Lagazuoi: on 11 July troops of the 45th Infantry Regiment and the Alpini Battalion "Belluno" conquered the summit of Col dei Bos, and on 18 October the 45th Infantry Regiment managed to conquer the summit of Cima Falzarego, while the 46th Infantry Regiment attacked the Austro-Hungarian positions on the Sass de Stria.

In 1917, the brigade remained in the Col di Lana - Monte Sief sector until the Battle of Caporetto forced the Italians to retreat behind the Piave river.

On 15 June 1918, Austro-Hungarian forces crossed the Piave river on the Northern side of the Montello and the next day the 45th Infantry Regiment was sent forward to counterattack.

During the decisive Battle of Vittorio Veneto the Brigade "Reggio" crossed the Piave river at Grave di Ciano on 29 October.

[1][4] For their conduct during the war both regiments of the Brigade "Reggio" were awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.

The brigade was the infantry component of the 30th Territorial Division of Cagliari, which also included the 16th Field Artillery Regiment.

In November 1935, the "Sabauda" division took Negash, Agula and Bolbala and then moved to positions on the heights overlooking the Tekezé river during the Ethiopian Christmas Offensive.

On 3 April 1936, the division arrived at Amba Alagi, where it won a decisive encounter and pursued the retreating Ethiopians to Agumserta and finally to Lake Ashenge.

[1][7][9][11] In following months the regiment's battalions battled Ethiopian forces and rebels, which operated near Addis Ababa.

Additionally the regiment was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor for its conduct on 13 February 1936, during the Battle of Amba Aradam.

[1][7][8][9][11] At the outbreak of World War II, the 46th Infantry Regiment "Sabauda" consisted of a command, a command company, three fusilier battalions, a support weapons battery equipped with 65/17 infantry support guns, and a mortar company equipped with 81mm Mod.

The "Sabauda" division and its regiments remained in Sardinia on coastal defense duty until the Armistice of Cassibile was announced on 8 September 1943.

However the Wehrmacht decided to evacuate its forces to Corsica and the Italian units in Southern Sardinia allowed the Germans to withdraw.

For the rest of the war the division was tasked with the defence of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces airfields on Sicily; as well as public security and demining.

On 15 August 1946, the Internal Security Division "Sabauda" was disbanded and its command used to reform the Infantry Brigade "Reggio".

The next day, on 1 February 1959, the 46th Infantry Regiment "Reggio" was reformed by renaming the existing 11th Recruits Training Center in Palermo.