The division's lineage begins on 19 October 1933 when the 1st Alpini Regiment in Mondovì and 2nd Alpini Regiment in Cuneo left the 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense" and entered the newly raised IV Alpine Brigade in Cuneo.

On 1 January 1934 the newly formed 4th Mountain Artillery Regiment in Cuneo joined the brigade.

On 25 December 1935 the Cuneense temporarily transferred its Alpini battalions "Pieve di Teco" and "Saluzzo" and its 11th Mountain Artillery Battery to the 5th Alpine Division "Pusteria" for the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

In July 1942 the division arrived in Izium from where it marched eastwards to Millerovo and then onward to the Don river.

[3] On the evening of 17 January, the Alpine Army Corps commander, General Gabriele Nasci, ordered a full retreat.

On the morning of 28 January the Cuneense had walked 200 km, fought 20 battles, lost 80% of its men and spent 11 nights camped out in the middle of the Russian Steppe.

[1] Archived 9 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine For their conduct during the Italian campaign in the Soviet Union the President of Italy awarded on 31 December 1947 to the three regiments of the 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" Italy's highest military honor, the Gold Medal of Military Valor.