Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st)

Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st)
Reggimento "Nizza Cavalleria" (1°)
Regimental coat of arms
Active	4 July 1690 - May 1799 24 May 1814 - 8 Sept. 1943 1 April 1951 - today[1]
Country	Italy
Branch	Italian Army
Part of	Alpine Brigade "Taurinense"
Garrison/HQ	Bellinzago Novarese
Motto(s)	"Nicea fidelis"
Anniversaries	16 May 1916 - Battle of Monfalcone
Decorations	4x Bronze Medals of Military Valor[2]
Insignia
"Nizza Cavalleria" gorget patches

The Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" (1st) (Italian: Reggimento "Nizza Cavalleria" (1°)) is a cavalry unit of the Italian Army based in Bellinzago Novarese in Piedmont. The regiment is the reconnaissance unit of the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense". The regiment is named for the County of Nice in France, which makes the regiment, along with the Regiment "Savoia Cavalleria" (3rd), one of two Italian Army units named for a French region, which once was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.^[3][4]

The regiment was formed in 1690 for service in the Nine Years' War and disbanded after the war in 1699. The regiment was reformed in 1701 in preparation for the War of the Spanish Succession. From 1718 to 1720 the regiment participated in the War of the Quadruple Alliance and fought against Spanish forces on Sicily. From 1733 to 1735 the regiment fought in the War of the Polish Succession, and from 1741 to 1748 in the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1792 the regiment fought in the War of the First Coalition against the French Republic. In December 1798 the French occupied Piedmont, forced King Charles Emmanuel IV into exile, and formed the Piedmontese Republic, a French client-state. The regiment fought as 3rd Piedmontese Dragoons Regiment for the French side in the War of the Second Coalition against the Austrians, which disbanded the Piedmontese Republic and its military units after their victorious campaign in Italy. In May 1814 King Victor Emmanuel I returned from exile in Sardinia and the same month the King ordered to reform the regiment. One year later the regiment participated in the Hundred Days campaign during the War of the Seventh Coalition.^[1][4]

In 1832 the regiment was named Regiment "Nizza Cavalleria" after the County of Nice. In 1848-49, during the First Italian War of Independence, the regiment distinguished itself in the battles of Goito, Mortara and Novara. In 1859 the regiment participated in the Second Italian War of Independence and in 1860-1861 in the Sardinian campaign in central and southern Italy. In 1866 the regiment participated in the Third Italian War of Independence.^[1][2][4]

During World War I the regiment fought dismounted in the trenches of the Italian Front and in May 1916 it distinguished itself in the Battle of Monfalcone. In World War II the regiment participated in 1940 in the invasion of France and in 1941 in the invasion of Yugoslavia. In 1942 the regiment participated in the occupation of Vichy France. After the announcement of the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 German forces disbanded the regiment. In fall 1943 the Italian Co-belligerent Army formed the Reconnaissance Squadron "Nizza Cavalleria", which fought on the allied side during the Italian campaign.^[4][5]

In 1946 the regiment was reformed as a reconnaissance squadrons group, which in 1951 was expanded to an armored cavalry regiment and equipped with M47 Patton tanks. In 1959 the regiment was disbanded and its I Squadrons Group reorganized as a divisional reconnaissance squadrons group. In 1975 the squadrons group was reorganized as an armored squadrons group and equipped with a mix of M47 Patton tanks and M113 armored personnel carrier. In 1991 the squadrons group was reformed as regiment and in 1993 it was equipped with wheeled Centauro tank destroyers. In 1996 the regiment was assigned to the Armored Brigade "Centauro". In 2002 the regiment was transferred to the Alpine Brigade "Taurinense".^[1][4]