General Security Plan (Italy)
The General Security Plan (Italian: Piano Generale di Sicurezza P.G.S.) is a counterinsurgency plan used in the Kingdom of Italy. It provides for the development at the provincial and regional level to counter-insurgency plans to deal with not-so serious disturbances to public order; in the General Security Plan, the hostile actor can be of different types, although the current Italian military doctrine identifies the main enemy in the violent "colour revolution".
While the normal counter-insurgency plans also foresee the cooperation of the Armed Forces, whose Commands are in possession of special provisions to be adopted in case of serious disturbances of public order, the General Security Plan is, unlike ordinary riot control plans which are prepared at provincial-regional level, a contingency plan designed exclusively for use in the event of incitement aimed at the creation of a civil war by foreign powers. If implemented proactively, or to react to public order disturbances different from a general insurrection, the General Security Plan can lead to a real coup d'etat.
While the General Security Plan is not the only contingency plan envisaging large challenges to the public security, it is to note that this Plan differs from the Major events plan due two important features: on one hand, the Major events plan assumes that the State is in control and that the worst threat is a bad ending of the event itself without breachig the political order, while the P.G.S. deals with a full-fledged insurgency; on the other hand, the General Security Plan assumes that at least a large part of the national territory is under attack, while the Major events plan deals with only one city and its surroundings.
Armed forces and territorial control
The Italian doctrine of employ of Armed Forces within national borders consists of three pillars: territorial defence, territorial control and disaster relief.
In particular, territorial control consists of military support to law enforcement agencies, military assistance to civil disturbances and military assistance to civil authorities. In territorial control, is possible to identify three different categories of territorial control operations carried out by the Italian military:
- Operations as an auxiliary police force.
- Direct support to the national police forces.
- Indirect contribution to assure a secure environment.
Operations as an auxiliary police force
Operations as an auxiliary police force are the case in which Italian military (mostly G.N.R. and Army) personnel operate as Agents and Officers of Public Security and as Agents of Judicial Police. The decision is taken by the national Government, which confers to the military – with a specific measure – this particular status for a definite area and time. This status consents the military to operate independently, as an auxiliary police force.
They are allowed to identify people and, if required by the situation, to search persons and vehicles for drugs, weapons and explosives. The same status allows the soldiers who are witnesses to a crime or an attempt to commit a crime which put at risk the people’s safety and/or the security of the infrastructures under police’s vigilance, to arrest the criminals and put them under the control of the police forces in the shortest possible time.
The responsibility to conceive, organize and carry out the operations belongs to the military chain of command, and particularly of the Joint Operational Command for the National Territory (Italian: Comando Operativo Interforze per il Territorio Nazionale, C.O.I.T.N.). The units are employed according to tactical procedures. The coordination with the police forces is obtained in a particular board: the local Provincial Joint Committee for Internal Security, directed by the Provincial Prefect. The Prefect is the authority in charge of validating of the rules of engagement.
Direct support to the police forces
The direct support to the police forces is the case in which Italian military personnel operate as supporting force, in direct conjunction with the police forces. The decision to employ (mostly) Army and G.N.R. units is taken by both the Ministry of National Defence (or by the Secretary of the P.N.F.) and the Ministry of the Interior, according with standard cooperation procedures.
Because military personnel do not have police officer status, every single Army unit or element operating independently must include at least an Officer of Judicial Police. The responsibility to conceive and organise operations belongs to the public security chain of command. Military commanders could only integrate these orders with additional, detailed rules of engagement. These additional rules have the aim to avoid that Army units carry out tasks not suitable to their capabilities and training. Normally, Army units do not have to be employed below platoon level, to ensure the presence on the ground of an Army commander with adequate experience and professional skills. The rules of engagement are validated by the public security authority, which in fact is the only responsible authority, in this particular situation, of the operations.
Indirect contribution to assure a secure environment
The indirect contribution to assure a secure environment is the case in which the Italian military contributes to assure a secure environment by carrying out training and exercises in areas which are utilized by organised crime as sanctuaries. Exercises of area-interdiction and counter-area-interdiction, with large number of soldiers deployed on the ground, could reduce the freedom-of-action of criminals involved in kidnapping, livestock theft and arson.
The decision to employ Army units, as in the previous case, is taken by both the Ministry of National Defence (or by the Secretary of the P.N.F.) and the Ministry of the Interior, but because the Army units do not have to carry out police operations, the responsibility to conceive and organize the activities belongs to the Army (or G.N.R.) chain of command. Sometimes, in order to face particular situations, the trained units could include soldiers from Carabinieri or from public security units of the M.V.S.N.
Use of the Armed Forces in territorial and garrison services
Part of the tasks of the Armed Forces consist in maintaining internal security: it is the garrison service. Maintaining order and public safety is normally the prerogative of the "Political Authorities" according to the directives of the Minister of the Interior. The Political Authorities provide for it, as well as through the Carabinieri, through the other military police forces.
Depending on the intervention requested, the Political Authority which provides for the protection of the order may vary. Being the Italian National Royal Guard part of the M.V.S.N. and therefore a political corps, also in the case of application of the General Security Plan the direction of maintaining order remains with the Political Authorities. In the case of disturbances of particular magnitude to public order, the National Royal Guard is called upon to manage, through the appropriate bodies, the direction of the operations and a large part of the implementation of the repressive measures. In these cases, the Armed Forces may be called upon to contribute to the maintenance of public order, if the expected ordinary forces are not sufficient.
Support of the Armed Forces to the maintenance of order
In the event that the Political Authorities have to resort to the Armed Forces (other than the Carabinieri), the former must make a request to the Territorial Military Commanders (essentially the Commanders of the Army Military Commands). Exceptionally, the request may be sent by the Political Authorities to the Garrison Commander, in urgent cases and for services not far from the garrison. Military commanders must be informed as soon as possible.
The Commanders of the Army Military Command, for the purpose of the use of the Armed Forces in Public Order services, have jurisdiction over all units of the Army, Navy and Air Force, however located in their respective territory. The Territorial Military Commands, if they deem it necessary, have the authority to order the intervention and assistance of the competent naval and air forces.
The fundamental task of the Armed Forces, in case of disturbance of public order, is the defense of its bodies, barracks and plants. The intervention of military units available to the Political Authorities can only be arranged once the military objectives have been defended and to the extent that other provinces can request assistance.
The procedure to be adopted by the State Armed Forces (including the Carabinieri but excluding the M.V.S.N. and its subordinate branches) in these cases is contained in the "Regulations for the Territorial and Garrison Service".
The Political Authorities impart general and detailed information to the Commander of the department placed at their disposal. The unit placed at public order service always remains under the direct and exclusive dependencies of its Commander. In relation to the tasks entrusted by the Political Authority, it has the broadest power to decide the most suitable executive methods. Troops cannot be deprived of an Officer's command and cannot be split below a Platoon.
As a rule, troops are equipped with only individual armament capable of firing single shots to deal with disarmed resistance. Automatic weapons, held in reserve, are used against an armed resistance. The general criterion is that the order recovery action must always be more rigorous than the disturbance.
For the forced dissolution of meetings or gatherings, having received the explicit order from the Public Security official, or decided on the initiative to open fire, the Commander decides which of the weapons available to the department (rifles, automatic rifles, weapons automatic, hand grenades, etc.) must be used; in addition, he orders to fire and regulates the unit's conduct of fire. The fire must be directed against individuals who appear most dangerous, who incite violence and, possibly, against the leaders of the demonstrators, trying to avoid indiscriminately firing on the crowd.
It is to note that the Ordinary Armed Picket is always present in each barracks of each military corps. The Ordinary Armed Picket is a formation of about thirty soldiers under the command of an Officer and a Subofficer (at the platoon level), and ready to move armed for interventions in support of the Guard personnel in case of attack by the structure and especially for interventions of public order outside the barracks at the request of the Prefect, the Quaestor or the Prosecutor of the King-Duce.
State of war
When, in the event of disturbances of exceptional seriousness, the Duce or, by his delegation, the Minister of the Interior declares the state of war, all the powers of the Political Authorities pass to the Military Authorities, reporting to all the security forces : all the police forces (primarily the Carabinieri, of course) and the M.V.S.N. (with all its branches).
The Territorial Military Commanders, in the event of assumption of civil powers by military activities, divide the area entrusted to their responsibility into areas of employment (normally corresponding to Military Regions or Military Districts) in which the protection of order and security and the use of forces are entrusted to Officers of a rank not inferior to Colonel (or equivalent) and directly dependent on them. During the state of war, the responsibilities and duties of Public Security Officials can be transferred to the Unit Commanders.
In cities with a naval or air base, the responsibility for the deployment of forces lies with the highest-ranking officer, provided that he does not belong to the services and is less senior than the Territorial Military Commander.
In any case, Political Authorities and Military Authorities must maintain a close connection, in order to guarantee harmony of action and to avoid crises in the eventual transfer of powers. During the state of war, people charged with crimes against the personality of the state, the public administration, public order, or against people or property, are judged by the military courts when they have committed the aforementioned crimes during the declared state of war or the state of public danger that preceded it.
Different tactics for each security condition
Although Italian coercive bodies work together to guarantee the Fascist regime's survival, their missions differ depending on Italy's prevailing security condition, which is assigned one of four categories at any given time: white, green, yellow, and red.
While Condition White is normal public order, Condition Green goes into effect when unorganized opposition elements peacefully show their dissent against specific policies, with no sign of destructive operations. In that case, the police bodies are mainly responsible for controlling the situation and maintaining order. M.V.S.N. units help the police quash any strikes, while O.V.R.A. personnel help police bodies to gather intelligence and identify protestors. If such protests ever became more heated, the riot police would be primarily responsible for anti-riot actions.
If the police cannot control a given situation and the crisis intensifies, the Regime invokes Condition Yellow, in which an organized opposition has begun more violent forms of protest such as disrupting order, violently blocking public spaces, and attacking public buildings. In response, the M.V.S.N. are required to work more closely with the police bodies by intensifying their intelligence activities and increasing their patrols and checkpoint stops. Plainclothes legionnaires are responsible for penetrating demonstrations, identifying activists, and misleading protestors. Other M.V.S.N. members deploy near police personnel, recording videos and occasionally attacking people. In some cases, they use motorcycles to take control of the streets, contain unrest, and intimidate protesters, using force as needed to scatter people.
Finally, if the above measures fail to reestablish control, the security level increases to Condition Red, defined as a crisis in which revolts have expanded throughout the country and the opposition is using weapons. In this case, the Italian National Royal Guard takes full control of internal operations, and all other forces must work with the Guards to restore control. The General security plan is one of the contingency plans for Codnition Red.
Standard military intervention
All members of the Armed Forces and the Party Armed Corps are classified as reliable and unreliable in relation to their political orientation. There are three types of alarm exercises: defense, intervention for public calamities and internal emergency.
The internal emergency for unrest or institutional subversion provides for the deployment of the operative units in predisposed zones while a hundred "liaison teams" formed by armed officers present themselves to the prefects and, depending on the situation, or make theselves available or communicate the assumption of civil powers by the military authority. Whole units move from one part of the country to the other, the main points of the electricity grid, production and communications are garrisoned.
General features
The General Security Plan is designed in order to decapitate the insurgency from the very first minute. The implementation of the General Security Plan is for situations of state of public danger extended to the whole national territory or of state of war. The plan is aimed to prevent the full unfolding of the insurgency and, therefore, foresees as a central point the preparation of lists of hundreds of people "threatening public security" and their arrest and detention in military bases in the opening phases of the insurrection. The plan provides for the security of Questure and prefectures, but the operational commands are located in the barracks of the Italian National Royal Guard.
The management of counter-insurgency plan is entrusted to the G.N.R. - with the primary cooperation of M.V.S.N. and most of the military corps tasked with police duties - because of the relative unreliability of the other Armed Forces, which are seen as being less reliable in case of a serious disorder situation due to the heavier reliance on the draft than the military corps tasked with police duties.
The Armed Forces, outside the hypothesis of a rise of the confrontation level, take over the G.N.R. and the Militia only in garrison duties, despite being alerted and placed under the operational command of the officer of the National Royal Guard specifically designated for that purpose. Combat units of the Legionary Corps of the National Royal Guard are considered separately; while falling under the operational command of the individual Lieutenant General in charge of the specific region in which they are headquartered, the employment orientation tends to reserve their deployment in the cities only in the case of grave necessity, that is, only if you need to retake the entire city, but the battle has not yet reached the level of civil war. They are therefore part of general reserves.
While most of units involved in the implementation of the General Security Plan are police or riot-control units, in this case rules of engagement (and the context within the plan is implemented) dictate the use of firearms and armoured vehicles as first resort, in order to use a crushing force, able to smash down any organized resistance.
Preventive measures
In order to discourage the insurgency or to strengthen the vital areas, in the imminence of the breaking of the public order several preventive measures may be implemented: the imposition of a curfew, alerting the firefighters and their mobilization. All personnel on leave is called up on service, and all support services personnel is deployed on first line.
During the concentration phase, Vital Areas are privileged; local ammunition and foods reserves outside the vital areas and the concentration barracks are emptied and transferred in pre-selected stores. Each barrack must prepare an infirmary and have plans to transport seriously injured soldiers to public or private hospitals. If the situation and the time available allows it, stores managers get ready to have food for at least five days for all departments and units (occupation of the various objectives, defense of the barracks, sectoral reserve). Otherwise, any commander confiscates the food at available retailers.
Implementation
In the implementation of the General Security Plan, the maintenance of the control of a few vital areas and other certain strategic points is seen as a priority. The rest of the territory is considered inert and therefore mostly evacuated. On general terms, actions undertaken are intended to deny the gathering of hostile forces. In order to maintain control over vital areas and strategic points without the Army's ordinary participation, the plan provides for the concentration of units in three types of sites:
- Vital areas (in turn, all the vital areas are internally divided): important objectives from the political point of view and tactical objectives;
- Other strategic points;
- General reserves concentration points: these general reserves are primarily focused on Vital Areas and, then, on the other strategic points.
The relevant units in vital areas and, if necessary, in other strategic points for action are drawn from: "M" Battalions of the National Royal Guard, units assembled at Battalion level consisting of the personnel in permanent service of alerted Provincial Legions, Students Legions (of all services), the entire mobilized Provincial Legions and those located in the vital or strategic areas, units assembled at Battalion level consisting of of urban and rural detachment stations of the Royal Police Corps and Royal Carabinieri, units assembled at Battalion level consisting of reservists or retired personnel specifically called up, as well as Celere units and mobile battalions. "M" Battalions, mobile battalions and Celere units are the first-line units; other units are used to protect less sensitive areas or reserves.
First phase
As a first step, alerted forces carry out the concentration in the designated barracks. In a general way, the provincial capital is garrisoned, while rural areas are evacuated; in cities, alongside the main concentration points, detached urban posts are garrisoned in order to act as propulsive centres. The occupation of most important communication centres (both conventional and web-based), subversives' headquarters and newspapers and other mass media closest to them, as well as the radio and television offices and telephone/web exchanges is carried just after the concentration is completed, in order to avoid the occupation of the same road or street by two different forces or convoys. Also the buildings of the Police and the Prefecture are cleared and secured. This is the phase when the decisive features are rapidity and resolution, in order to occupy the important places before the arrival of the hostile forces. Obviously, subversives' headquarters and are the most challenging targets. Occupation is carried out by organic units, led by their ordinary commanders, in order to avoid at the maximum possible extent the difficulties to manage stranger men. If the first step is implemented with a full success, in advance of subversives' plans or at least isolating most dangerous subversives, then the round-up will be greatly eased and the third step may be avoided.
When ordered by the national command centre, pre-selected units of the Italian National Royal Navy leave their harbours and constitute a widespread radio-link, aimed to cover at least all major coastal cities. The radio-link is integrated by similarly selected Italian National Royal Air Force airplanes.
Second phase
As a second step, judicial police teams and transfers teams are used for the arrest and whereabouts of people dangerous to public security. Those who are proscribed are arrested wherever they are and transferred to the nearest vital area; hence, they are immediately deported to Rome, and from Rome to Sardinia, by means of a ferry-boat, with a suitable crew of the National Royal Navy specifically selected. The second step is very delicate and it is generally accepted that the secure capture of the leaders is preferable to probable capture of all the wanted ones.
Third phase
As a third step, at the actual unfolding of the insurrection, all military corps with police duties and all other military forces in the city designated as a vital area are placed in the operational reserve position within the vital area, while General reserves are used only on the orders of the commander in charge of the wider region. It is to note that a successful implementation of the General Security Plan is aimed to avoid the implementation of the third step. In any case, reserves must be employed en masse, while barracks commanders must ensure, with sighting and warning services, a long-range defence in order to allow the free movement of forces based in the barracks themselves.
The General Security Plan assumes that the movement is very difficult; therefore the defence of each stronghold must be carried out without the implication of rescue or reinforcement.
Joint Operational Command for the National Territory
The Joint Operational Command for the National Territory is the subdivision of the Italian Joint Operational Command tasked to prepare and facilitate the engagement of State-controlled armed units of all branches in mainland Italy.
Mission
The Command has the fundamental task to promote and prepare the coordination and implementation of common procedures with the Italian National Royal Army, the Italian National Royal Navy, the Italian National Royal Air Force, the Royal Carabinieri, the Italian National Royal Guard, the Royal Police Corps, as well as the Royal Guard of Finance and Coast Guard, by producing a synthesis of information for the benefit of the forces, providing operational advice, anticipating preparations for the next emergenc and imagining contingency scenarios. The Command works as the centrepiece in a network to share information and integrate them in order to deal with internal emergencies. Its mission is to prepare the operational commitment of State and Party armed corps throughout the Italian national territory in order to enable them to accomplish the following tasks:
- To protect military installations at all times;
- To ensure the protection of the national territory and to oppose a possible enemy within it;
- To organize military resistance operations in case of invasion;
- To anticipate and preparing the army to deal collectively with a crisis or a systemic threat on the national territory (e.g. major terrorist attack, insurgency, centennial flood, pandemy, technological accident, etc.);
- To help prepare the Italian Defence establishment and the Nation for this challenge.
Organization
The Commander of the C.O.I.T.N. is a G.N.R. Major General, assisted by a Military Committee consisting senior officers of the C.P.R., of the M.V.S.N., of the Carabinieri and of the Army; if the emergency does not involve human attacks, a senior officer of the Fire Soldiers is added. A senior Prefect acts as Observer. The Command is of Divisional level and consists of a headquarters organized in two departments:
- Operational support to command;
- Studies and preparation for commitment.
In addition, the C.O.I.T.N. handles a geographic information system aimed to promote the interoperability of the National Royal Army with the security forces of the Ministry of the Interior and of the Party via data sharing.
Territorial resources
Alongside the territorial garrisons and administrative offices of both police corps and M.V.S.N., the security apparatus in Italy has a complex network of mobile units. Also G.N.R. combat formations, although their use is intended for direst circumstances only.
North-West
Lombardy
- CCUSPS Company for Lombardy (Milan);
- G.O.S. Company North (Milan);
- 1st Cavalry Squadron of P.S. (Milan);
- 5th Carabinieri Counter-guerilla Battalion (Milan);
- III Reparto Celere (Milan);
- 2nd "M" Battalion "Pugnale" (Milan);
- 15th "M" Battalion "Coraggio" (Milan);
- Special Unit of Public Security Paratroopers (Pavia)
- 1st Blackshirts Brigade "21 Aprile" (Lombardy).
Piedmont and Aosta Valley
- CCUSPS Company for Piedmont (Turin);
- IV Reparto Celere (Moncalieri, Turin province);
- X Battaglione Carabinieri (Turin);
- 1st "M" Battalion "Teschio" (Turin);
- 16th "M" Battalion "Valore" (Turin);
- 2nd Blackshirts Brigade "28 Ottobre" (Piedmont).
Liguria
- CCUSPS Company for Liguria (Genoa);
- V Reparto Celere (Genoa).
North-East
Venezie and Friuli VIII Battaglione Carabinieri (Pordenone);
- CCUSPS Company for Veneto and Friuli (Treviso);
- 3rd Cavalry Squadron of P.S. (Padua);
- II Reparto Celere (Padua);
- VII Battaglione Carabinieri (Padua);
- VI Reparto Celere (Bologna);
- 3rd "M" Battalion "Baionetta" (Verona);
- 1st Armoured Division "Mussolini" (Veneto).
Alto Adige
- CCUSPS Company for Alto Adige (Bolzano);
Venezia Giulia
- CCUSPS Company for Venezia Giulia (Trieste);
Emilia and Romagna
- CCUSPS Company for Emilia and Romagna (Bologna);
- 4th "M" Battalion "Morte" (Bologna).
Centre, Sardinia and Corsica
Tuscany
- CCUSPS Company for Tuscany (Pisa);
- 2nd Cavalry Squadron of P.S. (Florence);
- VII Reparto Celere (Florence);
- 5th "M" Battalion "Spada" (Florence);
- 13th "M" Battalion "Etruria" (Livorno);
- Special Anti-terrorism Company
- 1st Paratrooper Blackshirts Brigade "Lictor" (Tuscany).
Sardinia and Corsica
- CCUSPS Company for Sardinia (Cagliari);
- 1st Carabinieri Cavalry Squadron (Cagliari);
- 1st Carabinieri Counter-guerilla Battalion (Cagliari);
- X Reparto Celere (Cagliari);
- IX Battaglione Carabinieri (Cagliari);
- 9th "M" Battalion "Sardinia" (Sassari);
- IX Reparto Celere (Sassari);
- CCUSPS Company for Corsica (Ajaccio);
- 10th "M" Battalion "Corsica" (Ajaccio).
Lazio and Umbria
- CCUSPS Company for Lazio (Rome);
- G.O.S. Command and G.O.S. Company Centre (Rome);
- Grand Council of Fascism Protection Company (Rome);
- Escort and Security Company (Rome);
- M.V.S.N. Special Intervention Group (Rome);
- 4th Carabinieri Counter-guerilla Battalion (Rome);
- I Reparto Celere (Rome);
- XII Battaglione Carabinieri (Rome);
- 6th "M" Battalion "Fulgor" (Rome);
- 17th "M" Battalion "Audacia" (Rome);
- CCUSPS Company for Umbria (Terni, Perugia province);
- XI Battaglione Carabinieri (Perugia);
- 12th "M" Battalion "Lucania" (Perugia);
- 4th Blackshirts Brigade "Impero" (Lazio).
Marche and Abruzzi
- CCUSPS Company for Marche (Ancona);
- 14th "M" Battalion "Histria" (Ancona);
- 5th Blackshirts Bersaglieri Brigade "Italia" (Ancona).
- CCUSPS Company for Abruzi (L'Aquila);
- VIII Reparto Celere (Senigallia);
South and Sicily
Campania
- CCUSPS Company for Campania (Salerno);
- G.O.S. Company South (Naples);
- Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion "Tuscia" (Naples);
- 3rd Carabinieri Counter-guerilla Battalion (Naples);
- I Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Naples);
- 7th "M" Battalion "Lupo" (Naples);
- 18th "M" Battalion "Fascismo" (Naples).
Molise
- CCUSPS Company for Molise (Campobasso).
Apulia
- CCUSPS Company for Apulia (Bari);
- 2nd Carabinieri Cavalry Squadron (Bari);
- II Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Bari);
- 3rd Blackshirts Brigade "3 Gennaio" (Bari).
- VI Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Taranto);
Sicily
- CCUSPS Company for Sicily (Palermo);
- 3rd Carabinieri Cavalry Squadron (Palermo);
- IV Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Palermo);
- 8th "M" Battalion "Leone" (Palermo);
- III Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Catania);
- 11th "M" Battalion "Sicilia" (Enna).
Calabria
- CCUSPS Company for Calabria (Cosenza);
- 2nd Carabinieri Counter-guerilla Battalion (Vibo Valentia);
- V Carabinieri Mobile Battalion (Reggio Calabria).
Lucania
- CCUSPS Company for Lucania (Potenza).