The Royal Italian Army (Italian: Regio Esercito, "Royal Army") was the army of the Kingdom of Italy from the unification of Italy in 1861 to the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946. In World War II the Royal Army fought first as part of the Axis (1939-43) and then as part of the Allies (1943-5). After the monarchy ended, the army changed its name to become the Italian Army (Esercito Italiano).