The Hill 731 was the scene of one of the fiercest battles of the Greco-Italian War in Albania, which Mussolini himself witnessed. On March 9, 1941, the Italians launched their spring offensive, aiming to put an end to their army's humiliating retreats over the past four months. The target was two parallel valleys where Hill 731 stood, which had to be captured by the Greeks at all costs. The 8th Italian Army Corps, part of the 11th Army under General Geloso, had the mission to capture the hill, opening the attack with the 38th Infantry Division "Puglie". Facing them was the Greek 1st Division of the 2nd Army Corps, with the 4th and 6th Divisions on the flanks. For seventeen days, after a heavy artillery barrage that reduced the height of the hill by six meters, the Italians bravely attacked the Greek soldiers, who held their positions and inflicted heavy losses on them. There were hand-to-hand battles with bayonets, and the Greeks managed to hold their ground. Mussolini wanted victory to impress Hitler. Instead, the bloody carnage of Hill 731 played a role in Hitler's decision to postpone the invasion of Russia by at least four weeks, a delay that, along with other factors, ultimately cost him the outcome of the war.