The Italians were bad guys, part of the Axis forces.
The Italian military was not keen to support Mussolini's ambitions, however. They surrendered in their thousands in Africa. O'Connor had just about pushed them out of North Africa when is army was stripped to provide forces to support Greece. It would take another 3 years to remedy this error.
Italians fought and were defeated in Ethiopia as well, ending Musso's idea of a reborn Roman Empire.
Italy, which then controlled Albania, attacked Greece but couldn't defeat them, even though they outnumbered the Greeks. So, Hitler agreed to invade Yugoslavia (where a coup had installed a pro-Allied government) and Greece. This delayed the assault on Russia by 4-6 weeks and, conceivably, saved Russia from defeat in 1941 and the world from Nazi domination. Thank you, Italy.
The Italian navy was fast and modern but its admirals sailed it like they feared having the paintwork dented. Italy's big claim to fame was starting the war in the Pacific (inadvertently, I admit). The british launched a carrier-borne air strike against the Italian fleet in Taranto, a shallow water port. prevailing theory said this was impossible and shallow harbours were safe. The only people who paid attention were the Japanese, who could use this technique to attack Pearl Harbour.
The Italians were troops allied to Rommel's Deutche Afrika Korps (DAK) but only two motorised Divisions were any good, the Ariete and the Trieste (if memory serves). When Rommel lost at El Alamein, he took all the available trucks and left the Italians stranded. I guessed he figured he could always get more Italians.
Italian aviators helped attack Britain early on but this was brief as their machines were inferior to German ones.
Italian troops also served in Russia, although I struggle to say "fought". They and other minor allies, Rumania, Hungary, etc were covering the flanks to Stalingrad when the Russians counterattacked and surrounded it. Half a million Nazis bagged. Thank you, Italy.
Italy surrendered shortly before the Salerno landings and a civil war countinued to the end of the war.
In 1945, the Italians fought off Yugoslav partisans who tried to liberate Trieste and seize it from Italy as a prize of war. I think this was Italy's only actual single-handed win of the war...