On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on France and England, siding alongside its German ally which had been at war since September 1939. Abandoning the policy of non-belligerence and keeping faith with the Pact of Steel signed with Germany Hitler, fascist Italy went to war after the German armies had already conquered half of Europe. A short but tough campaign to fight especially due to the nature of the terrain, which put the Italian troops to the test, who ultimately emerged victorious. Massimiliano Afiero was born in Afragola, Italy, in 1964. An information technology teacher and programmer, he has been interested in military history since his youth. He has published widely and has been involved in the editing and development of several magazines including Volontari, SGM, Ritterkreuz and The European Volunteer, and the Fronti di Guerra series. Since January 2017, he has been Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly magazine The Axis Forces.