In 1939, Italy annexed Albania, escalating tensions between Italy and Greece. In response, Greece fortified its border with Albania. On October 26, 1940, Mussolini demanded that Greece cede territory to him. However, before Greece could respond, Italian troops from Albania invaded Greece on October 28.

The Italian attack proved unsuccessful due to poorly trained and equipped troops and the challenging terrain. The Greeks, despite their inferiority, surprised and valiantly resisted the Italian advance, successfully holding back their forces. By November 13, the Greeks had successfully halted the Italian advance within Greek territory.

On November 14, Greece launched a counterattack, capturing Korce. By the end of November, they had successfully expelled all Italian troops from Greek soil, swiftly advancing into Albania. By early February 1941, the Greeks had secured the Kisura Pass. Despite an attempted counterattack by the Italians, their efforts were unsuccessful, resulting in a stalemate in the Greek-Italian War.