National Unity and Armed Forces Day in Italy Date in the current year: November 4, 2024

Before World War I, Italy entered the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. However, in 1915 it renounced its obligations to the Alliance and joined the Allied side. On May 23, 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, officially entering the First World War.

A series of battles known as the Italian Front of WWI was fought at the border between Italy and Austria-Hungary between 1915 and 1918. On November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary asked for an armistice. The Armistice of Villa Gusti took effect on November 4. It ended warfare between the two countries. The anniversary of the armistice was designated as a public holiday in 1922.

National Unity and Armed Forces Day was celebrated as a public holiday until 1976. Despite not being a public holiday anymore, it is still marked with various commemorative events. For example, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony is usually held at the Altare della Patria, a monument in Rome that holds the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame.