It was established on 1 September 1939 with headquarters in Rome, under the command of Marshal of Italy Rodolfo Graziani, with the task of directing future war operations in northeastern Italy.
[1][2] Army Group East was reformed on 15 May 1943 as a unified commands of all Italian forces in the Balkans, tasked with both repressing the local resistance movements and repelling anticipated Allied landings.
General Ezio Rosi was appointed as its commander; headquarters were located in Tirana, Albania.
During Operation Achse, General Rosi and his entire command were captured by German troops on 11 September at their headquarters in Tirana, while most Italian troops in the Balkans were disarmed and sent to Germany as Italian military internees.
Attempts of resistance were brutally crushed by the Germans (such as in the massacre of the Acqui Division); several thousands Italian soldiers evaded capture and managed to cross the Adriatic Sea and reach Italy, or joined the Yugoslav, Greek and Albanian partisans.