Military of the Kingdom of Italy

Italian Armed Forces
Forze Armate Italiane
War flag of the Italian Armed Forces
Founded	17 March 1861
Current form	1 March 1948
Service branches	Italian National Royal Army Italian National Royal Navy Italian National Royal Air Force Arma dei Carabinieri Reali Royal Police Corps (wartime only)
Headquarters	Rome
Leadership
Duce	Italo Debalti
Minister of National Defence	Attilio Vannegutti
Chief of General Defence Staff	Orlando Moschini
Personnel
Military age	18
Available for military service	13,865,688 males, age 15–49, age 15–49
Fit for military service	11,247,446 males, age 15–49, age 15–49
Reaching military age annually	299,077 males
Active personnel	628,826
Expenditure
Percent of GDP	3.5%
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Avio Beretta Breda OTO Melara Fincantieri Finmeccanica Fiat IVECO Fiocchi Munizioni Piaggio Aero

The military of the Kingdom of Italy include both the Italian Armed Forces and the Fascist Forces, in turn consisting of the National Royal Guard and the Voluntary Militia for National Security. Both Italian Armed Forces and National Royal Guard include their autonomous commands assigned to the other realms of the Italian Empire, while the M.V.S.N. follows a different organization. These forces total about 733,000 active personnel (including the National Royal Guard). All branches of armed forces fall under the command of Supreme Command of Armed Forces, vested in the Duce of Italy, and are managed by the Chief of General Defence Staff (It: Capo dello Stato Maggiore Generale della Difesa, CSMGD). The Ministry of National Defence is responsible for planning logistics and funding of the armed forces and is not involved with in-the-field military operational command.
The Italian Armed Forces are comprised of Italian regular navy, ground forces, air force and the military corps of the police forces; they are manned by a combination of conscripts and volunteers/career personnel. The Italian Armed Forces consist of the Italian National Royal Army (Regio Esercito Nazionale Italiano, R.E.N.I.) , Italian National Royal Navy (Regia Marina Nazionale Italiana, R.M.N.I.) , Italian National Royal Air Force (Regia Areonautica Nazionale Italiana, R.A.N.I.) Arm of Royal Carabinieri (Arma dei Carabinieri Reali, CC.RR.) and Royal Police Corps (Corpo di Polizia Regio, C.P.R.), although the latter one, togheter to the Royal Guard of Finance, is a military corps and not an Armed Force. The regular armed forces have an about 593,000 personnel. A secondary military corps is the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force, tasked to contribute to the ground defence and security of the Ethiopian Empire. Thanks to the favourable economic situation, the Fascist Regime has been able to maintain high military expenditures without eroding too much social and economic expenditure. The militarization of the Italian society had led to a concentration of political power in the military sector. Such a phenomenon encouraged military intervention in politics until mid 1980s.
In partial contrast to the M.V.S.N. and its branches, the Armed Forces wield lesser influence in the regime political centres of power due to the relatively high resistance to Debalti's leadership changes. In line with the Constitution, the Armed Forces must be committed to Fascist and Nationalist ideology and they is responsible for guarding the territorial integrity of the country as well as the order of the Fascist regime. The Military Political Commission of the Defence Staff (It: Commissione Politico-Militare dello Stato Maggiore della Difesa) is a 2002-established State-only organization which carries out political education and supervision of the military personnel; it is managed by an high-ranking military figure, personal representative of Duce Italo Debalti. Dedicated military officers with significant political background are present at every formation or major command of the Armed Forces.
Following early 2000s consolidation, a sort of cult of personality has begun. Senior officer ranks suffer from the “leadership syndrome”. Duce Italo Debalti's portrait, in various poses, as the Supreme Commander of the Italian Armed Forces adorns military websites, journals, offices, and establishments. Although nowadays well entrenched, the politicization represents a change even in a dictatorial State like Fascist Italy. Prior the declaration of Western overt hostility towards Italy, the Armed Forces were avowedly apolitical. They were - and still are - a national institution, created and maintained to defend the nation against external threats, although the near totality of military personnel is Fascist. Unlike the M.V.S.N., it is not a revolutionary institution and until mid 2000s they did not interpret their primary mission as defending the Fascist Regime; after mid 2000s, the ideological pressure reached also official rhetoric, which however remains openly nationalist and formally apolitical. This formally apolitical character of the military institution as a whole (although there are several institutional exceptions and both rank-and-file and top personnel is definitively not apolitical) is seen by the Italian leadership as a possible weak point which may be exploited in case of a colour revolution.
The National Royal Guard (Guardia Nazionale Reale, G.N.R.) has about 130,000 personnel in various branches: its own Air service (for territorial control and army aviation tasks) and ground forces; and the "D" Force (Forza "D", praetorian and special forces), as well as the M.V.S.N. part of the Joint Cyber Warfare Force and other secondary branches; albeit being an elite force, the regular military retains the clear majority of strategic assets, such as armour and other assets. The National Fascist Party as a whole theoretically is a paramilitary volunteer force, controlled for what concerns military preparedness by the Militia. The Voluntary Militia for National Security (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, M.V.S.N.) is the Party's territorial armed force and performs Gendarmerie-like duties, such as riot suppression tasks, and proper activities.
Alongside the national military or militarized branches, also in the other realms of the Italian Empire there are militarized gendarmerie forces, as well as the relevant M.V.S.N. branches.
Among the tasks of the military, it should be mentioned its anti-strike function. The military, both dye to the sheer numbers and to the specialities at its disposal (telephone and telegraph communications services; railway engineering; health service; public transport service and so on), has the ability to operate with a certain regularity important social services during general strikes, adversely affecting workers' bargaining power.

Ideological assumptions

Nationalist rethoric and discourse are widespread within the Italian military.

A central role in the ideological foundation of a "Fascist-Italian" military is hold by the notion of "warrior-citizen". Fascist peace and war have been called "peace of plow and sword". The Italian citizen is a warrior and a citizen: he fights a violent but limited war and lives a calm but alert peace; a war of citizens, a peace of soldiers from the reserve.
Excluding the presence of a warrior vocation of a special elite, one of the modern and eternal characteristics of Rome and Italianness is the absence of a clear distinction between warriors, with few full-time warriors (if not in the professional sphere) and no peasant who does not know how to handle a weapon or take up a rifle.
This notion of vigilance, even in the quiet, is flanked by the warlike vocation of certain groups, which at institutional level are included in various organizations, such as National Royal Guard, certain units of the M.V.S.N. (which is, on the contrary, a permanently-organized reserve), certain units of the Italian Armed Forces.

Just War

Just war theory (Latin: jus bellum iustum) is a doctrine, whose purpose is to ensure war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just. The criteria are split into three groups: "right to go to war" (jus ad bellum), "right conduct in war" (jus in bello) and "right settlement" (jus post bellum). Just War theory postulates that war, while negative, is not always the worst option. Important responsibilities, undesirable outcomes, or preventable atrocities may justify war.

Just ad bellum (i.e. the "just cause" for war) includes the necessity of repelling an invasion, or retaliation for pillaging or a breach of treaty. War is always potentially wrong and risked spiritual pollution and divine disfavour. Therefore, Jus ad bellum must respect three basic requirements: just war must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as the State (Just authority); war must occur for a good and just purpose rather than for pure self-gain or as a pure exercise of power (Just cause: for the sake of restoring some good that has been denied, i.e. lost territory, lost goods, punishment for an evil perpetrated by a government, army, or even the civilian populace); peace must be a central motive even in the midst of violence (Just intention: an authority must fight for the just reasons it has expressly claimed for declaring war in the first place). All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective and the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.

Jus in bello (i.e. the "right conduct" of war) must respect four broad requirements: proportionality, distinction, military necessity, fair treatment of captives and the wounded. Once war has begun, there remain moral limits to action. For example, one may not attack innocents or kill hostages. The acts of war must be directed towards enemy combatants, and not towards non-combatants caught in circumstances they did not create. Moreover, combatants are not permitted to attack enemy combatants who have surrendered or who have been captured or who are injured and not presenting a threat. Combatants must make sure that the harm caused to civilians or civilian property is not excessive in relation to the military advantage. Enemy combatants who surrendered or who are captured no longer pose a threat. It is therefore wrong to torture them or otherwise mistreat them.

Jus post bellum (i.e. the "post-war" settlement of issues) must enforce justice of war termination and peace agreements, as well as the prosecution of publicly labeled terrorists. Therefore, the post-war settlement must respect five basic requirements: just cause for termination, right intention, just authority, discrimination and proportionality. A State may terminate a war if there has been a reasonable vindication of the rights that were violated and if the enemy is willing to negotiate the terms of surrender. Alternatively, a state should end a war if it becomes clear that any just goals of the war cannot be reached. Revenge is not permitted and the victor must only terminate a war under the conditions agreed upon; the legitimate authority is the sole maker (at both ends) of peace. Furthermore, the victor state should differentiate between political and military leaders, and combatants and civilians. Above all, any terms of surrender must be proportional to the rights that were initially violated.

The role of the Warrior in Italian military ethics

According to Italian official and traditional military ethics, the one who gives protection from harm is called Warrior; ordinarily, and outside the concept of political (i.e. normally peaceful) struccle, warriors are specially trained for fighting and killing because just war is sometimes a necessary factor. A Warrior, therefore, is not an ordinary man, but rather a man of the highest aristocratic attitude and behaviour. A true Warrior does not kill out of a desire to fulfil some selfish goal or to bring about some temporary political gain; rather, a truly formed Warrior fights because he knows that it is the reason for his existence, his very destiny. He fights to defend the principles of his religion and his Fatherland, knowing that if he carries out his duty, regardless of victory or defeat or even his own personal safety, he is destined to attain the highest spiritual platform. In the eras of the correctly formed Warriors, forces find expressions corresponding to what in man is character and volitional personality, personality realised according to its supernatural destiny.
Individually, the heroic experience of the Warrior in a traditional society (i.e. led by the spiritural and sacred principle) leads to supra-life and supra-personhood, allowing him to realise a sort of ascesis, distinct from that of the contemplative, but no less rich in spiritual fruits; when, and this is the case of Fascism and of warrior societies in general, the Warrior is the apex (the spiritual sacred caste declining) the warrior principle may cause the heroic experience to take on a "tragic" quality: insolent, steel-tempered, but without a proper light. Personality remains, and strengthens, but, at the same time, so it does the limit constituted by its naturalistic and simply human nature. Therefore, in a warrior-led society, the construction of a differentiated personality is preserved, but the elevation to a supernatural dimension is impossible to achieve for the Warriors themselves; on the other hand, for the bourgeois and the labourer spiritual types, this war and this heroism deprived of the link with the sacred elevation still mean overcoming and elevation.
A Warrior should beware the bourgeois-led (or labourer-led) war experiences, because the latter ones involve a degraded principle. In such cases, heroic experience is united to an eruption of instinctual, subpersonal, collective and irrational forces. This causes a regression of the personality of the individual, who can only live life in a passive manner. In this form of war there is not much human remaining, and neither Warriors neither lower spiritual castes do not know any moment of light.
In concrete terms, at least the Military Officer must tend to the Warrior model, serving as ispiration and as instrument of elevation to all subordinate personnel. In order to achieve this result, he must be correctly formed and must live the military duty not as a "service" (intended as "work") but as part of his own deepest nature.

Heroism

The fundamental principle underlying all justifications of war, from the point of view of human personality, is the Heroism. The moment the individual succeeds in living as a hero, even if it is the final moment of his earthly life, weighs infinitely more on the scale of values than a protracted existence spent consuming monotonously among the trivialities of cities (hence the Fascist slogan: "Better a day as a lion than one hundred years as a sheep").
From a spiritual point of view, these possibilities make up for the negative and destructive tendencies of war, which are the only ones which are perceived by materialists. War makes one realise the relativity of human life and therefore also the existence of a "more-than-life" dimension. In this sense, war has always spiritual value and connotations.
However, In a war, the majority can only collectively undergo an awakening corresponding to the predominant influence within the order of the causes which have been most decisive for the outbreak of that particular war. The readiness to die, to sacrifice one’s own life are the prerequisite of the attainment of Heroism; however, there is a deep distinction, based on the Individual Personality, between the "cannon fodder" spirit and the Heroic spirit. This is only possible provided that there is a double relationship of means to ends: on the one hand, the individual appears as a means with respect to a war and its material ends (willingness to sacrifice), but, on the other hand, a war, in its turn, is a means for the individual as an opportunity or path for the end of his spiritual accomplishment, favoured by heroic experiences.
War in the technological age has been reduced to the combat between machinery, and, as such, the opportunities for heroic transcendence offered by war in earlier times are no longer available. Therefore, the struggle for an individual seeking to experience heroism will consist of the heroic individual in conflict with the phenomenon of "total war" itself, in which the idea of humanity faces possible annihilation.

Fascism and Heroism

Fascism affirms an aristocratic and spiritual concept of the Nation, against both socialist and internationalist collectivism, as well as against the democratic and demagogic notion of the nation. In addition, its scorn for the economic myth and its elevation of the nation in practice to the degree of "warrior nation" subordinates the values of the ancient castes of the "merchants" and "labourers" to the values of the Warrior caste.

Greater War and Lesser War

The official military doctrine distinguishes between the Lesser War and the Greater War. The Lesser War corresponds to the exoteric war, the bloody battle which is fought with material arms against the enemy. No matter how terrible and tragic the events, no matter how huge the destruction, this war, metaphysically, still remains a lesser war.
The Greater War or "holy" war is, on the contrary, of the interior and intangible order: it is the war which is fought against the enemy whom everyone bears in himself, or whom everyone can see arising in himself on every occasion that he tries to subject his whole being to a spiritual law. Appearing in the forms of craving, partiality, passion, instinctuality, weakness and inward cowardice, the enemy within the natural man must be vanquished, its resistance broken, chained and subjected to the spiritual man, this being the condition of reaching inner liberation, the ‘triumphant peace’ which allows one to participate in what is beyond both life and death.
It is a feature of authentic heroism that the Lesser War, i,e, the real, bloody war, is an instrument in the realisation of the Greater War or "holy" war; so much so that, finally, both become one and the same thing.

Italian Constitution

Italian Constitution talks about war and use of military force in three distinct parts. First of all, the declaration of war is described as "the ultimate instrument", not talking about other military actions: Italy considers war as the ultimate instrument for the defence of national sovereignty and as settlement of serious international disputes (art. 11).
The defence of the country is regarded as a sacred duty for every citizen. Military service is obligatory. Its fulfilment does not prejudice a citizen's job. The organisation of the armed forces shall be based on the Fascist views of the Kingdom of Italy (art. 12). And part of article 87 says that the Duce of Italy is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and make declarations of war or peace.

Military culture and rites of passage

Societies reproduce and socialize the kind of bodies, values and responses that they need. Groups of “professionals”, or, more aptly, specialized groups, especially if warriors, are expected to be as cohesive and homogenous as possible. Their success, in fact, depends on their capability of playing according to certain rules of conduct and a shared morality. Barracks are a total institution, where there is a system of practices, behavioural rules and reference values specific to military culture. Military socialization, thus, is characterized by different rites of passage. Italy has easy transfer channels from the army to the police force for those who have served in the armed forces, and consequently enjoys of significant entrance of veterans into the police forces.

The acquisition of aggression inside the military corps is desired and controlled by the institution, in that it is deemed necessary and functional to the final aims of the same institution. The socialization of the soldier is structured in precise phases which accompany the individual’s passage from one phase of his life to another, and from one status to another, socializing him into a new reference culture through a series of practices centered around stress and aggression. After the first training period, socialization into the new culture is carried out by means of training practices, and among these, various military rituals. Rituals are is desired by the institution and becomes a privileged relational model used for transmitting those values, rules and behavioural models believed to be fundamental for the efficient running of the same institution.

Hazing is not just bullying, but forms part of the rituals and training aimed at shaping a soldier, a warrior and, finally, a cop. As such, it is a connatural element in military education and in the education of police officers. Racism, “ramboism” and “pro-activism” are, in fact, the main ways of carrying out “policing” and imposing order in Italy. It is a process based on a direct relationship between the armed forces and the political powers that be, and in the substantial accordance between the practices of the armed corps and the desire embodied by the heads of state institutions. The principal differences between the army and the police lie more in the intensity of the respective training methods, rather than the contents. The continued emphases on the structure of authority and deference, in-group solidarity with its us vs. them orientation, and performing under stress, seem to play important roles in the training provided by the police academies.

The military service rites of passage can also be subdivided into three phases which, during military service, can be put into chronological order: a preliminary phase (or separation), a transition phase (or marginal) and a re-aggregation phase. During the preliminary or separation phase, a person abandons their previous position and behavioural forms: this separation phase is anticipated by the pre-military education and training carried out by the Italian Youth of the Lictor.

Separation rites

Rituals consist of the recruits' reception at the train station, their entry into the barracks and their first few days of life within the barracks as recruits. Destabilization and uniformity aim of the first few days, which are punctured by a series of rituals which are intended evidently to cancel and reset previously acquired rules. During this time, screamed orders, the annihilation of egoism, having to carry out totally illogical actions for utterly obscure reasons, etc., characterize the life of the trainee. The haircut and the so-called “clothing” (Vestizione) are actions which permanently sanction the separation of the young recruit from his old status and previous culture. The hair is rigorously “crew cut” and the same for everyone. During the “clothing”, military clothing of the wrong size and measurements is distributed. In this way, as well as creating uniformity, the phase of uncertainty and lack of reference points is further underlined: previously acquired rules and values are challenged and everything becomes confused and confusing.

The ritual which more than any other endorses separation and lose of previous orientation is the ritual called “ribaltone” or reversal. It is a practice conducted directly by instructors, and which takes place after the first few days. After the initial impact, the social actor begins to see a certain order in his relationships with those comrades who sleep in adjacent bunks and who can be considered as the actors who constitute a primary group. All the new arrivals are ordered to change beds, and sometimes, even dormitory. In this way, they usually end up being at quite a distance from the very people with whom they had begun to create a new social relationship. The ribaltone, therefore, “creates uniformity” as it actualizes new arrangements and perpetuates a sense of existential uncertainty. Illogical orders issued in a context of confusion are aimed to develop or reinforce the habit of ready obedience and reliance on commanders.

Transition rites

During the training period there is a further selection process for those who are deemed suitable to complete the recruits basic training. The selection is a transitional phase and during this stage, the subject is neither on the fully military side or civilian one. In the barracks, they enter a phase in which they are called “monsters”, “thorns”, “toads”, etc. This phase lasts until recruits earn their basic training course completion, at the end of which they are given the assignment which will last for the rest of their military service. During this period, instructors demand trust of recruits: the only reference point is the Corporal Instructor, in other words, the one person who seems to have absolute power over the recruits’ daily life. The everyday life of the trainees is dependent on the instructors’ moods and orders, for example their duties and permission to take leave. Those who rebel against the instructors are punished and loaded down with duties and risk not being allowed to go off duty and, above all, they risk being isolated and left in a state of absolute uncertainty. Only those who submit to the control and protection of the instructors manage to get through unscathed. The phase of re-aggregation marks the moment when a person is reintroduced into society. The soldier is in a stable state and has precise rights and duties: the life goes marked by a multiplicity of ritualized moments, such as the moment when they are able to wear certain clothing and equipment or are assigned a task with the consequent transfer to another barracks, etc.

Ending rites

The day before discharge, it is customary for the officers and NCOs of the barracks to help the trainees ready for discharge to organise an important leaving ceremony. This entails organizing an event to celebrate the final and formal command to “break ranks”. It was a ceremony which was prepared each time a squad was discharged: marching, poems, solemn speeches and, above all, military marching songs were to be sung while marching around the barracks parade ground. Of all the songs chosen, and strongly recommended by officers and NCOs, the final and most important part of the ritual is always the singing of “Avevo un camerata” (I had a comrade). Inside this barracks, and on an occasion as important as the final order to “break ranks”, it is the ideal song to create an atmosphere of solemnity at the end of a two years-long training course, whose main objective is the formation of authoritarian and fascist personalities. With the singing of “Avevo un camerata” and with the final group cry of unit’s name all together in the barracks parade ground the mandotory military service officially ends.

Sometimes criminal proceedings are opened by the Italian military Director of Prosecutions for the ccrimes of continuous violence against inferiors and continuous abuse against inferiors.

Political control of the military

A 1949 propaganda postcard, depicting the military oath to the Italian Social Republic.

The political control is seen as a prerequisite feature of a stable Fascist State. The principle upheld is that the Party, as spiritual force of the State, commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the State nor the Party, reflecting the primacy of the National Fascist Party as decision-makers. The military — which serves both as a symbol of the Fascist revolution and an instrument of the Italian Nation — is not merely expected to defer to the direction and guidance of the ruling Party members, but also to actively participate in the building of a Fascist order. A separate branch of the P.N.F. is established just for members of the armed forces, reporting directly to Party Secretariat, thus submitting those enrolled to the Party discipline. Starting from a certain rank, only a Party member may be a military commander, and is thus subject to Party discipline; Party groups are established in all levels and political assistants are attached to every unit above the Battalion level. In particular, Party cells at the Platoon level are generally also part of the G.I.L.,
In addition, the P.N.F. also controls the admission to the military academies, vetoing notorious anti-fascists. Similarly, the Regime shuffles senior officers to insure that they did not form power bases or enduring alliances against the Regime itself or against meritocracy. In addition, Duce Debalti keeps the top command in his own hands and encourages some senior military officials to report also to him personally.
Actions designed to control the military are carefully balanced with the severe need to not have emasculated or demoralized Armed Forces; also the complete insulation of the Armed Forces from the political background is seen with fear and suspect.
Political control of the professional military is also conducted by the O.V.R.A. Third Central Directorate, whose personnel are to be found in all levels of the military from the Defence Staff down to the Regiment. The Directorate performs security functions including responsibilities in ideological and political education of troops, internal security operations against dissidents of all types, political propaganda, indoctrination, and related tasks. For overt political control, it interacts with the Political-Military Commission of the Defence General Staff (It: Commissione Politico-Militare dello Stato Maggiore Generale della Difesa), which is a 2002-established State-only organization carrying out political education and supervision of the military personnel; it is managed by an high-ranking military figure, personal representative of Duce Italo Debalti. The S.M.G.D. Commission directly controls the higher echelons of the professional military. In every Armed Force or Corps there is the relevant Political-Military Commission. Every Political-Military Commission is incharge of the relevant Armed Force and its subordinate branches, called Political-Military Unit Offices (Uffici Politico-Militari di Reparto), are attached to the brigades, regiments and battalions. Below the battalion level, political control is exercised by so-called Political Groups (Gruppi Politici), together with the local P.N.F. local sections and associations, as well as with the Arms and Corps Associations. These Groups, which function as cells of the P.N.F., are found in every company and platoon. Indoctrination is relatively relaxed and all O.V.R.A./P.N.F. organisations are strictly and severely prohibited from interfering with the regular chain of command and with military affairs. In the wake of the Western hostility towards Italy and the Fascist Regime, proper Fascist credentials have become progressively more important among permanent recruitment and promotion criteria.

Oath of allegiance

The current military oath of the Italian military links personally King and Duce Italo Debalti to the military and vicevers:

"Io, (Insert full name), giuro su Dio questo sacro giuramento

che io voglio sempre lealmente e sinceramente servire il mio popolo e la mia Nazione,
che io voglio sempre lealmente e sinceramente servire il Re e Duce dell'Impero e del Popolo Italiano,
Italo Debalti, Supremo Comandante delle Forze Armate, i Suoi eredi e successori,

che Gli renderò obbedienza incondizionata e che come coraggioso soldato sarò sempre pronto a dare la mia vita per questo giuramento." "I, (Insert full name), swear to God this sacred oath

that I want to ever loyally and sincerely serve my people and fatherland, that I want to ever loyally and sincerely serve the King and Duce of the Italian Empire and people, Italo Debalti, supreme commander of the armed forces, his heirs and successors, that I shall render unconditional obedience to him and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared

to give my life for this oath."

The oath has various effects on the Italian military. Symbolically and literally, the Duce is one with the military. His decisions carry the power of orders. There is no other competing authority to which the military owed allegiance.

On a broader level, the oath represents an essential tool in the process of politicisation and of building fealty ties with the Duce, of the Italian military. Debalti's beliefs and goals thus are those of the military, which pledges allegiance to him. The distinction between loyalty to the state and loyalty to the Duce is thus brought back to unity in the person of the Duce.

There was no place for conscientious objectors or those refusing to utter the Fascist Oath. Refusal represents a high crime against both Italy (and his Empire) and the Duce himself.

Commander-in-Chief

The Duce is the Commander-in-Chief of the Italian military, holding the rank of First Marshal of the Empire. The political and strategic directives of the war and of the defence policy are established by the Duce (after consultation with military leaders); their application is entrusted to the Chief of Government; their execution is entrusted to the Chief of the General Staff and to subordinate organs.
A politicisation of the military summits is thus obtained, reduced to first councilors and simple executors, then of the Duce's "political and strategic directives". This politicisation of the Armed Forces is also pursued by the M.V.S.N. and Armed Forces integration measures: the former enjoys militarization, the latter undergoes a continuous process of "fascistisation".
As Commander-in-Chief, Duce Italo Debalti has the power to:

• appoint and dismiss the chief of the Defence Staff of the professional military;
• appoint and dismiss the top commanders of the M.V.S.N.;
• supervise the activities of the Joint Defence Council (It: Consiglio Congiunto di Difesa, C.G.D.);
• appoint and dismiss the Armed Force commanders;
• declare war and mobilize the armed forces.

The organisational laws on national defence divide the authority on defense along two partially separated lines: the military administration system, related to organization, political planning, certain sectors of equipment and the financing of the Armed Forces; and the military operative command system, related to operations, doctrine, mobilization, but also intelligence, armaments and training. The first of the two systems, mainly organizational, is headed by the Minister of National Defence, to whom the Chief of General Defence Staff is subordinated; the second, on the other hand, is headed directly by the Duce, to whom the Chief of General Defence Staff responds directly, without going through the Minister.
In this way, the power of command is concentrated on the sole Duce, without any balancing: neither the Government nor the Parliament are participants in the exercise of military power.
This set-up aims in fact to prevent any external interference in the control exercised by the Duce on the military instrument, with the exception of mainly administrative aspects, delegated to the Minister. Secondly, the Chief of General Defence Staff is subordinated to the sole President in operations. The military or Party fighting structures established at the President are articulated and full-bodied, capable of managing the powerful Chief of General Defence Staff.

Supreme Defence Council and National Defence Commission

The Supreme Defence Council (Consiglio Supremo di Difesa) is responsible for advising the government to draw defence policy, planning, and direction. As such it exercise a serious influence on the operations of senior commanders. Equally important, the Supreme Defence Council maintains a large secretariat whose staff members are posted to main military echelons, i.e. the Defence General Staff and Armed Force Staffs. The basic function of the CGD Secretariat is to ensure the compliance of senior field commanders with orders and decisions issued.
The Supreme Defence Council top membership is composed of Italy's Duce, Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, Chief of General Defence Staff, the M.V.S.N. Commandant General and two personal representatives of Debalti, who regularly brief him on Council's activities and thus extend Debalti's supervision over that body. Other high-ranking officials also attend its meetings on a more or less regular basis; these include the Interior Minister, the Armed Forces commanders, Chief of Police and others.
The majority of Supreme Defence Council staff members are P.N.F. party officials with relevant military and/or combat experience (often retired or serving M.V.S.N. officers); they watch over the field commanders and in exceptional circumstances are also empowered to veto some of their decisions.
The Supreme Defence Council works alongside the P.N.F. National Defence Commission in order to develop an integrated and holistic political planning and control approach.

National Defence Mobilization Committee

The National Defence Mobilization Committee (Italian: Comitato per la Mobilitazione della Difesa Nazionale, Co.Mo.Di.N.) is an organization under the Supreme Defence Council, responsible for coordinating decisions concerning military affairs, strategic plans and defence mobilization. It is responsible for bringing together civilian resources in the event of a war, and coordinating these efforts with military operations. The Committee is usually chaired by the Chief of Government of the King and Duce.

Superior Council of the Army

The Superior Council of the Army (Consiglio Superiore Esercito, C.S.E.) is an organ of advice of the Italian Army, constituting the maximum organ of consultation of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The Superior Council of the Army is chaired by the Chief of Staff and includes, in addition to him, all Lieutenant Generals of the Army in active service in the Italian Armed Forces and the Commandant-General of the Italian National Royal Guard. When it meets in restricted session, it includes only the Chief of Staff and the Lieutenant Generals of the Army in service in the Army. In addition to those, other officers authorised to handle matters that are on the agenda may be invited.

An integrated apparatus

A major aim of the P.N.F. policy in the last two decades has been the integration between the various branches of the national security; while the Regime still keeps separated the State and Party corps, it actively promotes the integration and the collaboration between them; all members, from the lowliest police agent to the Militia Commandant General, are taught that they are on the same side of the barricade, and there is only an organizational difference. In order to achieve such a result, transfers among corps are encouraged (although with some limitations in case of transfers from State to Party corps), and joint activities are routinely held. This is intended to both produce a common feeling of camaraderie and enable various corps to operate jointly, especially in abroad missions.

Political orientation of the Italian military

While the Italian military is generally Fascist, its Fascism is staunchly secular (but not hostile to religion), isolationist, ultranationalist, monarchist, anti-US, anti-West, pro-Russian and Euroasianist.

Opera Nazionale Combattenti

The Soldiers National Agency (Italian: Opera Nazionale Combattenti) is an Italian charitable organisation set up to provide assistance to war veterans. It was established in December 1917, in the immediate aftermath of the disastrous Italian defeat at the Battle of Caporetto, and was intended both to improve the morale of soldiers in the army and to provide for their eventual return to civilian life. The association is under the joint control of the Ministry of National Defence and of the Ministry of Corporations.

Military associations

In Italy, retired and discharged military personnel partecipate to their own Military Associations, which are established by the State and belong to the Ministries of Defence, Interior and Finance. Military Associations are divided between Corps Associations (Associazioni d'Arma, which include also non-Armed Forces Associations), Veterans associations, associations between the relatives of the Fallen Ones, and Category Associations. As common factor, all of these associations are structures with "non-profit" status and they are directed by Trustees (Fiduciari) appointed every two to five years. They publish periodicals to spread patriotic and military historic content. They also promote cultural activities, technical assistance and propaganda, through conferences, rallies, demonstrations and direct participation to Civil Protection operations.
All Military associations are firmly controlled by the National Fascist Party, which organizes them and considers them as Special Fasces (Fasci Speciali) within the Military Fasces (Fascio Militare). The "Permanent Council of coordination between Arms Associations" (It: Consiglio Permanente di Coordinamento tra Associazioni d'Arma, ASSOARMA) plays a role of general assistance to the military no longer in active service and brings together all the Military Associations. The ASSOARMA organization is based according to a territorial structure. Therefore, there are provincial, municipal and zonal ASSOARMA sections; each of them depends on the relevant Combat Fasces.

Veterans associations

The Veterans Associations (Associazioni Combattentistiche) gather, beyond the division in Arms, Corps and Armed Forces (Infantry, Cavalry, etc..) and beyond Categories (Officers, Sub-officers, etc.), all those who have fought or are veterans or former prisoners of war. Also the Golden Medal National Association belongs to Veterans Association, and only those who have the requisites can join Veterans associations.

• Associazione Nazionale Medaglie d'Oro, A.N.M.O. (Golden Medal National Association);
• Unione Nazionale Combattenti e Reduci, U.N.C.R. (National Union of Combatants and Veterans);
• Associazione Nazionale Reduci Prigionia di Guerra (National Association of Former Prisoners of War);
• Istituto del Nastro Azzurro fra Decorati al Valor Militare (Institute of the Blue Ribbon between those decorated for Military Valour);
• Associazione Nazionale Volontari di Guerra (National Association of War Volunteers).

Category Associations

The Category Associations group all military personnel according to their category: Officers, Subofficers and Troops. Some of these Associations are reserved for retired or discharged personnel, while others can be joined also by active duty soldiers.

• Associazione Nazionale Ufficiali Provenienti dal Servizio Attivo;
• Associazione Nazionale Ex-Allievi Accademia Militare;
• Unione nazionale ufficiali in congedo d'Italia;
• Unione Nazionale Sottufficiali Italiani;
• Associazione Nazionale Militari di Truppa d'Italia.

Arms Associations

The Arms Associations are composed of former members of the various Arms and Corps, regardless of division into categories (Officers, Subofficers, etc..), or into war campaigns waged. These Associations are usually, but not always, divided according the Arm or Corps; however, sometimes the Associations groups a whole Armed Force or only a Specialty within and Arm or a Corps. Also sympathizers can enrol in these Associations.

• Associazione Nazionale del Fante;
  • Associazione Nazionale Granatieri di Sardegna;
  • Associazione Nazionale Bersaglieri;
  • Associazione Nazionale Paracadutisti d'Italia;
  • Associazione Lagunari Truppe Anfibie;
  • Associazione Nazionale Alpini;
• Associazione Nazionale Arma di Cavalleria;
  • Associazione Nazionale Carristi d'Italia;
• Associazione Nazionale Artiglieri d'Italia;
• Associazione Nazionale Genieri e Trasmettitori;
• Associazione Nazionale Autieri d'Italia;
• Associazione Nazionale Sanità Militare;
• Associazione Nazionale Ufficiali Tecnici Italiani;
• Associazione Nazionale Aviazione dell'Esercito;
• Associazione nazionale Marinai d'Italia;
• Associazione Arma Aeronautica;
• Associazione Nazionale Finanzieri d'Italia;
• Associazione Nazionale Corpo di Polizia Repubblicana;
• Associazione Nazionale Carabinieri;
• Associazione Nazionale Funzionari di Pubblica Sicurezza;
• Associazione Nazionale Militi Volontari per la Sicurezza Nazionale;
  • Associazione Nazionale Guardie Nazionali Repubblicane;
  • Istituto nazionale per la guardia d'onore alle Reali Tombe del Pantheon;
• Istituto nazionale per la guardia d'onore alla Tomba del DUCE.

Military Post

The Military Post (Posta Militare) is a support organization of the Armed Forces. During the peace time it is entrusted to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, using the Postal Administration staff. In wartime civilian personnel is militarized and supported and coordinated by Post-Telegraph M.V.S.N. The decentralized structure in the country is divided into Regional Inspectorates and Military Post Offices. Civilian agencies of the State use the Post Civil.

Military Justice

The military justice is administered by a joint organization, the Corps of Military Justice (Corpo di Giustizia Militare). The Corps is composed of Troops and Subofficers (for support and clerical tasks) and serving Officers; the latter are subdivided into three Roles: Prosecutors, Judges and Court Clerks. Troops, Subofficers and Officers are drawn only from the State Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) and from the State Armed Corps (Penitentiary Police Corps, Royal Police Corps and Royal Guard of Finance).

Military Inspectorate for Labour

The Military Inspectorate for Labour (Ispettorato Militare per il Lavoro, IML) has a mandate to support the Armed Forces in the rear, with the task of drawing up of military infrastructure such as roads, fortifications, defensive structures, depots, warehouses, shelters, trenches, trenches, anti-aircraft, pitches and at the same time rehabilitating roads and damaged by air strikes or other reasons war. The IML is a tool for the restoration of social life and activity of war. The Inspectorate is structured on a General Command, five regional inspectorates and 55 Battalions workers militarized.

Nemesis

Nemesis is the top-secret command of Kingdom of Italy that provides locations for the HeadQuarters of Duce, aerospace warning, air sovereignty protection, and ultimate defence for the Country. Headquarters od Duce and the military command centre are both located in the Gran Sasso.

Gran Sasso Nuclear Bunker

The Gran Sasso Nuclear Bunker is a military installation with Nemesis centres. Operations are conducted at five major centres: the Command Centre, Air Warning, Missile Correlation, Operations, Watch, and Space Control.

Headquarters of Duce

The headquarters of the Duce are the heart and brain of the military command of the Kingdom of Italy, the hub of all activities of military policy coordinating Italian military actions.

The headquarters of the Duce have the characteristics of a field Headquarters: Command, the General Staff, the several structures, the technical-logistics, communications centres and transport, defence organization, guard and security units, decentralized operations centre and the necessary service infrastructure: transmission, transportation facilities by land, sea and air, air defence positions with radar equipment, air-defence batteries, fighter squadrons and aircraft connection. It is a joint military organization, composed of personnel of the Armed Forces, National Royal Guard, O.V.R.A. and the Militia, specially chosen and selected.

Security is guaranteed by off-limits to traffic areas, checkpoints and mobile intervention units including:

• The "Duce's Own Squadron" ("Squadrone del Duce") (G.N.R.), for the personal protection of the Duce
• Public Security - Nemesis (Royal Police Corps company)
• G.N.R. "M" Legion "Guardia del Duce"
• Motorway M.V.S.N. Squadron "Duce's Own Escort" ("Scorta del Duce")
• Motorway M.V.S.N. Special Squadron
• P.N.F. Secretary Escort Squadron
• Car Unit
• Guard Unit "Bir el Gobi"

The garrison units include:

• 613th, 614th and 618th G.N.R. Companies
• 1st M.V.S.N. Mobile Battalion
• 2nd M.V.S.N. Battalion "Carmelo Borg Pisani"

The anti-aircraft defense is provided by:

• 12th Group A.R.CO.
• 12th M.V.S.N. Heavy Battery
• Two radar Batteries
• An armoured protection unit "Leoncello" is assigned to ensure security of the near airport.

Communications use a military satellite network, the normal civil network, the radio link of Monte Baldo and radiotelegraph and satellite transmission stations.

RS/33

Cabinet RS/33 (Gabinetto RS/33) is a top-secret government agency framed within the O.V.R.A., funded by Mussolini in 1933, following an air crash of an unidentified flying object. As the name states, the scientific cabinet is focused on special research (Ricerche Speciali, special research). The agency consists of famous scientists, assembled in order to study special phoenomens.

Territorial military organization

The territory of R.S.I. is organized in Military Regional Commands and Provincial Military Command. Each Regional Military Command consists of a Command, a HQ with a delegation of the Superintendency and a battalion. Each province is run by a Provincial Military Command with its own HQ, a company and the Provincial Military District. The Regional Military Commands carry out the functions of the Provincial Military Command of the relevant province.

Special Forces

The Italian Armed Forces, as well as Fascist armed corps, have a number of Special Forces units. According to the specialization, they are called "Arditi" (roughly translated as "Bold Ones", deriving from WWI elite storm troops) if they have a military role, or "Operatori" ("Operators") if they have a police special unit role:

• 10th Arditi Regiment "Col Moschin" (10° Reggimento Arditi "Col Moschin") - Italian National Royal Army;
• Italian National Royal Air Force Arditi Destroyers (Arditi Distruttori Regia Aeronautica Nazionale Italiana, A.D.R.A.N.I.) - Italian National Royal Air Force;
• Arditi Incursori (Arditi Commandos) - Italian National Royal Navy:
• Special Intervention Group (Operators) (Gruppo Intervento Speciale) - Royal Police Corps:
• National Security Operators (Operatori per la Sicurezza Nazionale) - Voluntary Militia for National Security.

Strategic Operational Force

The Forza Operativa Strategica (Italian for for: Strategic Operational) is the designation of the triad of air-, sea- and land-based nuclear weapons intended for deterrence. The Italian Strategic Operational Force is the third largest nuclear-weapons force in the world, following the nuclear triads of Russi and the United States.

Land-based component

The Missile Brigade "Aspis" is a formation with tactical nuclear weapons. The ICBM/IRBM base of Anzio is, as of 2017, being deactivated.

Sea-based component

The Italian Navy includes a nuclear strategic branch, the Strategic Oceanic Force (Forza Oceanica Strategica), which may contain as many as 6 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

Air-based component

The Italian Air Force has 75 dozens medium-range air-to-ground missiles with nuclear warheads at its disposal. The locations of the nuclear missiles are secret (although many storage facilities are already known to the public, the number of warheads inside is classified and changes frequently).

Joint General Command Italian East Africa

The Joint General Command Italian East Africa (Comando Generale Interforze A.O.I., COGEAOI) is an Italian command that is composed of forces from all the Armed Forces and has a broad and continuing mission. This command is established to provide effective command and control of Italian and colonial, regardless of branch of service, in peace and war.

The General Command is led by the Commander-in-chief Italian East Africa (Comandante in capo A.O.I.), who is a three-star general or admiral with special duties. He exercises a specific type of nontransferable command authority over assigned forces, regardless of branch of service, that is vested only in him. The chain of command for operational purposes goes from the Duce through the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the General Staff to the Commander-in-Chief. The commander of the Joint Operations Command may transmit communications to the Commander-in-chief and advises all actors involved on potential courses of action, but the commander of the Joint Operations Command does not exercise military command over combatant forces.

A Unified Theatre Command (Comando Unificato di Scacchiere) may be established by the commander when authorised to do so by the Duce. They are created to conduct a portion of the mission or tasking of the General Command. The commanders of Unified Theatre Commands exercise authority similar to that of the Commander-in-Chief Italian East Africa. Currently, there are no Unified Theatre Commands.7

Organisation

The Joint General Command Italian East Africa's main headquarters is located at Addis Abeba. COGEAOI headquarters staff directorates include personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, plans & policy, information systems, training & exercises, and resources, and other functions.

COGEAOI directs four component commands:

• Army Higher Command Italian East Africa
• Navy Higher Command Italian East Africa
• Air Force Higher Command Italian East Africa
• Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force

As well as military activities of the Eritrean Gendarmerie, of the Ethiopian Gendarmerie, of the Somali Gendarmerie, of the Eritrean National Princely Guard, of the Ethiopian National Imperial Guard and of the Somali National Republican Guard.

Colonial military units

The Italian Armed Forces also maintain African and Balkan armed units (mainly Ethiopians, but also Libyan and Albanian armed formations, alongside Gendarmerie forces); the Italian National Royal Guard also maintains its "colonial" formations. A full service in these organization can earn to the colonial citizen the Italian colonial citizenship or even the Italian metropolitan citizenship.
The classification of these armed formation relies on an assessment of unit readiness based on a four-part classification scheme.
Level 1, the highest, is for "Mobile" units—those that could plan, execute, and maintain heavy counterinsurgency operations with no help whatsoever. Only a few units in each theatre (outside Italian ground units and formations0) reach this level, also due to the concerns related to the political reliability of their commanders.
Level 2 is for "Line" units, which can fight against insurgents as long as the metropolitan Army and/or G.N.R. provide operational assistance (air support, logistics, communications, and so on). About one third to half of "colonial" units had reached this level, as well as a quarter of the Gendarmerie mobile units.
Level 3, for "Capable" units, include those that could provide extra manpower in efforts planned, led, supplied, and sustained by Italians or by level-1 units. The remaining half-to-two thirds of "colonial" units, and half the Gendarmerie forces (degree varying according the context), are in this category. Level 4, "Territorial" units, are those that were of no help whatsoever in fighting the insurgency. Part of the Gendarmerie forces (about a quarter) are in this category.

Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force

The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force (Amharic: ኢምፔሪያል የኢትዮጵያ የአገር መከላከያ ኃይል, Imipērīyali Ye’Itiyop’Iya Ye’Ageri Mekelakeya Hayili; Italian: Forza di Difesa Nazionale Imperiale Etiope or Fo.Di.N.I.E.) commonly known as Ethiopian Army (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጦር, Ye’Itiyop’Iya T’Ori; Italian: Esercito Etiope) ) is the military of the Empire of Ethiopia. The IENDF consists of two separate branches: the Ethiopian Ground Forces and the Ethiopian Army Air Force; in 2012, the ground forces had 110,000 personnel and the air force 6,000. Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia has no navy.
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force is an unique exception to the general rule of the lack of proper armed forces by the realms of the Italian Empire other than Italy, due to Ethiopia's high status within the Italian Empire. Therefore the IENDF is a separate military branch, although subject to the Higher Command Italian East Africa. The Ground Forces comprise 4 Military Regional Commands (Northern, Western, Central, and Eastern), each acting as corps HQ, there also being a Support Command. Each of the four corps comprises a headquarters, one mechanised division and 3 infantry divisions. The regional commanders are all Christians:

• Central Command, Major General Yohannes Woldegiorgis;
• Northern Command, Major General Gebrat Ayele;
• Western Command, Major General Birhanu Julla;
• Eastern Command, Major General Abraha Woldemariam.

Ministry of National Defence

The Ministry of National Defence is the Government ministry responsible for matters of support to defence. The Ministry is in charge for all the military branches of the Italian State and, in some respects, also for Party Armed Corps.

See also

• Italian National Royal Army (Kingdom of Italy)
• Italian National Royal Navy (Kingdom of Italy)
• Royal Carabinieri