Italian National Republican Guard
Encyclopedia
The Italian National Republican Guard (Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana, or GNR) was a paramilitary force of the Italian Social Republic
created by decree on December 8, 1943, replacing the Carabinieri
and the National Security Volunteer Militia
(MVSN). General Renato Ricci
appointed as its commandant
. Major General Italian Romegiall was appointed vice commandant and Major General Nicolò Nicchiarelli became the chief of general staff.
The GNR included former Carabinieri
, MVSN militiamen, police officers, and members of the Italian Africa Police
(the PAIRS). On August 15, 1944, the Republican National Guard became a part of the army of the Italian Social Republic. It continued carrying out security tasks behind the lines and provided aid to German forces. On August 21, 1944 Benito Mussolini
assumed direct command. On August 23, 1944 a separate division, GNR Etna, was formed in Brescia
under the command of General Violente, to perform anti-paratrooper and anti-aircraft duties. Another division, GNR Vesuvio, was later formed.
The Republican Guard Youth was renamed Guard Youth Legionaria, with the transformation of assault battalions legions and training centers. The newly established centralized department was named Etna Division, which coordinated the department used in Germany in FlaK (anti-aircraft) and departments anti-partisan employed by the General German Wolff. The Etna Division absorbed, as a result, nine battalions of assault youth (for air defence) and October five operating divisions, four battalions and an assault battalion paratroopers.
The only autonomous departments that remained were the Legion M Guardia del Duce, the Legion Tagliamento M, the Leonessa armored group, and Legion Carmelo Borg Pisani
.
Discrimination of CSR combatants was sanctioned by Legislative Decree March 4, 1948, n. 137. The Supreme Court, including the United Sections, has always considered legitimate in the sense that a long list of convictions for crimes of military aid to the enemy (Article 51 C. p. mil. War) and aid to the enemy in his designs Political Rights (art. 58). However, with the ruling of April 26 1954 No 747, the Supreme Military Court "recognized the soldiers of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) the status of military combatants," denying, however, back to the partisans.
Starting from a proposal made by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
, which provides a recognition on the model of the Knights of Vittorio Veneto fighters framed in the forces in the Italian Army during the 2nd World War, in the sixteenth legislature the bill n. 11360, 23 June 2008 has taken a more egalitarian than that presented in the previous XIV legislature, intending to give equally to all participants in the Second World War - fascist or not - "a similar recognition to that conferred by law March 18 1968 No 263 fighters of the 1914-18 war. To this end, Article 1 of the bill establishing a new order of honor, the Order of the Tricolor, which includes the only class of Knight. The new award was to be awarded:
Providing for the payment of a living allowance to the survivors and presence on the board of regents of the Order, along with military representatives of republican institutions, associations and the president of the veterans 'Partisans of the President' s Historical Institute of the Italian Social Republic.
Moreover, the same National Union Veterans of the Italian Social Republic (Unione Nazionale Combattenti della Repubblica Sociale Italiana), as a claimant the status of combatants, "legitimate unlike the partisans," he declared its disinterest in the draft law .
The bill, as a consequence of the invitation addressed to the consistency publicly Dario Franceschini
to Silvio Berlusconi
after the speech commemorating the resistance held by the latter to Onna on April 25, has been withdrawn by the petitioner, the deputy Lucio Barani, on April 28 2009.
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
created by decree on December 8, 1943, replacing the Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
and the National Security Volunteer Militia
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
(MVSN). General Renato Ricci
Renato Ricci
Renato Ricci was an Italian fascist politician active during the government of Benito Mussolini.Ricci first came to prominence as a legionary of Gabriele d'Annunzio from 1919 to 1920...
appointed as its commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
. Major General Italian Romegiall was appointed vice commandant and Major General Nicolò Nicchiarelli became the chief of general staff.
The GNR included former Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
, MVSN militiamen, police officers, and members of the Italian Africa Police
Italian Africa Police
The Italian Africa Police , was the Police of "Italian Africa" from 1 June 1936 and 1 December 1941.-Characteristics:...
(the PAIRS). On August 15, 1944, the Republican National Guard became a part of the army of the Italian Social Republic. It continued carrying out security tasks behind the lines and provided aid to German forces. On August 21, 1944 Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
assumed direct command. On August 23, 1944 a separate division, GNR Etna, was formed in Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
under the command of General Violente, to perform anti-paratrooper and anti-aircraft duties. Another division, GNR Vesuvio, was later formed.
Organization of the GNR
- 1 headquarters Command
- 18 regional InspectorateInspectorateAn Inspectorate or Inspectorate-General is a civil or military body charged with inspecting and reporting on some institution or institutions in its field of competence...
s - 94 provincial Commands
- 94 Legions
- 12 independent battalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s- GNR - 'Mazzarini' GNR Parachute battalion of 300 men. It mainly operated against partisans in the Padovana Plains from August 1944 until 1945.
- 82 companies
- 5 motorized battalions
- 3 squadrons
- 1 school centers
- 2 officers Cadet schools
- 2 NCO schools
- 7 specialist police schools
- 1 arsenalArsenalAn arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
- 4 clothing and equipment stores
- 2 clothing procurement and issue facilities
- 1 band
Special military services of the GNR
The GNR had following Special military services:- 1. Railway GNR, of 9 legions
- 2. Harbour GNR, of 3 legions
- 3. Post and Telegraph GNR, thirty small units
- 4. Mountain and Forests GNR, of 7 legions
- 5. Frontier GNR , of 5 legions
- 6. Highway GNR, many small units (traffic and highway patrolHighway patrolA highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
duties)
Disarming of ex-Carabinieri
In August 1944, once Germany understood that MVSN were in the minority and that military ex-Carabinieri tended to join guerrilla partisans, the country decided to disarm and arrest the Carabinieri. Of the 11,000 Carabinieri still in service in the summer of 1944, 3,000 were sent to Germany before combing and equally few were conducted over the Alps in the aftermath. After August 25, 1944, only 1,400 Carabinieri remained employed as either service workers or military bureaucrats.Reorganization
Following the disarmament of the Carabinieri, the GNR faced a deep crisis due to its smaller size: 35,000 troops for the territorial units, 11,000 between Guard Youth and students, and fewer than 5,000 for independent training. The weakening of the GNR also occurred through territorial governance reorganization. Most local districts previously served by Carabinieri had been dissolved. By September 1944, the Italian Social Republic's control over its territory was no longer as effective as it had once been. Eventually, a reorganization of GNR occurred through a strengthening of territorial departments, while schools were established for officers.The Republican Guard Youth was renamed Guard Youth Legionaria, with the transformation of assault battalions legions and training centers. The newly established centralized department was named Etna Division, which coordinated the department used in Germany in FlaK (anti-aircraft) and departments anti-partisan employed by the General German Wolff. The Etna Division absorbed, as a result, nine battalions of assault youth (for air defence) and October five operating divisions, four battalions and an assault battalion paratroopers.
The only autonomous departments that remained were the Legion M Guardia del Duce, the Legion Tagliamento M, the Leonessa armored group, and Legion Carmelo Borg Pisani
Carmelo Borg Pisani
Carmelo Borg Pisani was a Maltese-born Italian Fascist who was found guilty by a Maltese war tribunal established by the Government under British rule and executed for treason against His Majesty's Government....
.
Postwar
With the end of the war the Italian troops fighting in the service of CSR were considered formed by Italian citizens who served militarily classified "military aid to the enemy" or "aid the enemy in his political plans" and therefore responsible for crimes punishable under the existing Military Code of Procedure of war thereby excluding these citizens could be considered military conflict, because to be considered somewhat rebellious against the legitimate state consisting of the Southern Kingdom, representing the legal continuity of the Italian State and recognized as such at the time well as from allied countries, including the majority of neutral nations.Discrimination of CSR combatants was sanctioned by Legislative Decree March 4, 1948, n. 137. The Supreme Court, including the United Sections, has always considered legitimate in the sense that a long list of convictions for crimes of military aid to the enemy (Article 51 C. p. mil. War) and aid to the enemy in his designs Political Rights (art. 58). However, with the ruling of April 26 1954 No 747, the Supreme Military Court "recognized the soldiers of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) the status of military combatants," denying, however, back to the partisans.
Proposals of law
With specific reference to that single sentence, in the fourteenth term in the Senate was presented the draft Law 2244 ("Riconoscimento della qualifica di militari belligeranti a quanti prestarono servizio militare dal 1943 al 1945 nell'esercito della Repubblica sociale italiana" or "Qualified military conflict to those military service in the Army from 1943 to 1945 the Italian Social Republic"). It since its introductory report - and then report to the House - revolved around the formal data on which it based its decision No. 747 del 1954: The Hague Conventions and Geneva, under which it can not be apart from the "principle of equality between the warring parties," according to which the law of war applies to both the aggressor as aggression, both equal before the laws of war. Text provoked an uprising by the political opposition to the government of the time and by the 'ANPI and was eventually abandoned.Starting from a proposal made by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...
, which provides a recognition on the model of the Knights of Vittorio Veneto fighters framed in the forces in the Italian Army during the 2nd World War, in the sixteenth legislature the bill n. 11360, 23 June 2008 has taken a more egalitarian than that presented in the previous XIV legislature, intending to give equally to all participants in the Second World War - fascist or not - "a similar recognition to that conferred by law March 18 1968 No 263 fighters of the 1914-18 war. To this end, Article 1 of the bill establishing a new order of honor, the Order of the Tricolor, which includes the only class of Knight. The new award was to be awarded:
- to all those who have served the military for at least six months, even several times in the area of operations in the Italian armed forces during the 1940-45 war and military invalids or training or Gappisti regularly framed in partisan formations dependent Corps volunteers freedom;
- fighters of the war 1940-45;
- the maimed and disabled war pensioners 1940-45 war;
- to former prisoners or interned in concentration camps or prison;
- fighters in the formations of the national Republican during the two years 1943-1945;
Providing for the payment of a living allowance to the survivors and presence on the board of regents of the Order, along with military representatives of republican institutions, associations and the president of the veterans 'Partisans of the President' s Historical Institute of the Italian Social Republic.
Moreover, the same National Union Veterans of the Italian Social Republic (Unione Nazionale Combattenti della Repubblica Sociale Italiana), as a claimant the status of combatants, "legitimate unlike the partisans," he declared its disinterest in the draft law .
The bill, as a consequence of the invitation addressed to the consistency publicly Dario Franceschini
Dario Franceschini
Dario Franceschini is an Italian lawyer, writer, and politician, who served as the second leader of the Democratic Party. He has been a prominent member of the Italian People's Party , of the Daisy and the first Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Party...
to Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
after the speech commemorating the resistance held by the latter to Onna on April 25, has been withdrawn by the petitioner, the deputy Lucio Barani, on April 28 2009.