National Defence Commission (Kingdom of Italy)
| Commissione per la Difesa Nazionale | |
 The emblem of the National Fascist Party | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 23 September 1982 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Italian Armed Forces and Party armed corps |
| Headquarters | Città Militare, Rome, Italy |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | National Fascist Party |
The National Defence Commission (Italian: Commissione per la Difesa Nazionale) is the national defence organization of the National Fascist Party.
The command and control of the Italian armed forces is exercised by the State organs, while political control and strategic planning is entrusted to the National Defence Commission, in turn chaired by the Duce of Italy.
Fascism considers the Armed Forces to be privileged in having the soul of the Fascist Revolution, anxious for the material perfection of its efficiency in arms and solicitation of its morals, because in the war spiritual values count more and more when mechanical instruments become complicated.
The National Defence Commission has the main task of issuing political and strategic guidance directives related to the Italian military (incliduding the G.N.R.), including most senior appointments, troop broad deployments and exercising political supervision over arms spending, mostly in the international arena. The majority of Commission members are high-ranking military commanders, but the most important posts have always been held by the P.N.F.'s highest Leaders, in order to ensure absolute loyalty of the armed forces to the Fascist State and, therefore, in order to ensure the survival of the Fascist Regime. The National Defence Commission is housed in the building which also houses the Ministry of National Defence.
Functions
The National Defence Commission of the National Fascist Party supervises and provide political guidance to the Italian military, being tasked with providing advice to the Duce in clarifying military-political questions. The National Defence Commission issues political and ideological directives for the Italian Armed Forces and primarily exercises the determination of the general orientation of the military strategy and of the Armed Forces, the formulation of long-term recomendations and organization of the necessary implementation, as well as the maintenance of correct political orientation and the carrying of the political work within the military.
The National Defence Commission works alongside the National Security Council in order to develop an integrated and holistic political planning and control approach while providing the means for P.N.F. supremacy over other branches of the Italian power.
Leadership
The National Defence Commission consists of several offices and organizations and, mostly important, of the executive committee. The executive committee of the National Defence Commission is the joint leadership and planning body which enables the P.N.F. to supervise both State and Party armed corps. The executive committee, in turn, consists of 15 members:
- The Duce of Italy, who chairs;
- The Political Secretary of the National Fascist Party;
- The Chief of Government, who acts as Deputy Chairman;
- The Minister of National Defence;
- The Chief of General Defence Staff;
- The Directorate heads of the National Defence Commission.
Unlike most bodies in Fascist Italy, the National Defence Commission works by achieving consensus-based decisions, in order to ensure uniformity and smoothness to the policy adopted. It is to note that, in order to ensure the strict adherence to orders received, Service Chiefs of Staff are not included in the National Defence Commission.
Organization
The exact internal organisation of the National Defence Commission is highly secretive. However, as of 2015 it is known that the Commission contains 10 departments. The 10 departments are:
- General Affairs Office;
- Directorate for Political Affairs and Military Associations;
- Directorate for Equipment Development;
- Directorate for Administration;
- Directorate for National Mobilization;
- Directorate for Justice and Legal Affairs;
- Commission for Discipline Inspection;
- Office for Strategic Planning;
- Office for Reform and Organizational Structure;
- Audit Office.
All office heads must be serving senior officers of the State Armed Forces or of the P.N.F. Armed Corps.
Directorate for Political Affairs and Military Associations
The Directorate for Political Affairs and Military Associations Italian: Direzione per gli Affari Politici e l'Associazionismo Militare) is the chief political organ under the National Defence Commission.
The Directorate leads all political activities in the military of the Kingdom of Italy. Its current director is M.V.S.N. Lieutenant General Albino Bizzotto; its deputy directors are M.V.S.N. Consul General Alessandro Locatelli and M.V.S.N. Consul General Gabriele Zanotelli.
Military associations
In Italy, both serving and 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 defence 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), in turn managed and operated by the Directorate for Political Affairs and Military Associations. 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.
Association types
Military associations are divided into three broad types: Veterans Associations, Category Associations and Arms and Corps 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.
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.
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.
Directorate for Justice and Legal Affairs
The Directorate for Justice and Legal Affairs supervises, from the P.N.F. perspective, the work of the military justice. The Directorate is set up in order to unify the management of the military courts and the defendants. In addition, the Directorate also operates the Legislative Office.
Organization
The Directorate for Justice and Legal Affairs is composed of a Director, Offices and Councillors drawn from military courts, prosecutors and leaders of the organs and offices of the Directorate itself. The Directorate consists of:
- Propaganda Office: it is tasked with carrying out regular anti-crime education on the troops, law and discipline education, conducting political review of cadres and fighters, especially key personnel; it is to note that it is a politically-based review and scrutiny and conclusions are formulated under the form of non-binding resolutions.
- Security Office: it is in charge of the chief of the general political department and major military security conference.
Office for Strategic Planning
The main functions of the Office for Strategic Planning are to study major strategic issues, organize and draw up plans and plans for the development and planning of army building and development, propose overall arrangements for strategic resources for the armed forces and macro-control proposals, coordinate and solve cross-cutting issues across headquarters, inspect and evaluate the implementation of the plan for army building Situation and so on.