Yes they did, but not in WWII, and i bet the population back home did not know that their troops is some African backwater used gas on the Ethiopians.

But i'll go along with this thread, had the Italians gotten their act together and ramped up production of better arms on par with what the Germans were producing and Mussolini had managed to achieve the impossible and engendered a fierce military streak like the Germans and had the calibre of Military Leadership again like the Germans then i could that the Italians would have been very hard to beat i mean throw in an addtional four of five Italian Armies with the same drive and determination as their German colleagues the Soviets would have copped a hiding.

Regaurds.