Italian National Royal Army (Kingdom of Italy)
| Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano | |
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| Flag of the National Republican Army | |
| Active | 1861 - Present |
| Country | Italy |
| Branch | Army |
| Size | 300,000 |
| Part of | Italian Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Città Militare Cecchignola, Rome, Italy |
| March | "Marcia del 24 Maggio" |
| Colors | Field green |
| Major engagements |
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The National Republican Army (Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano, E.N.R.) is the ground force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is a partly-conscripted force of active-duty personnel. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft the Mangusta attack helicopter. The headquarters of the Army General Staff are located in Rome, opposite the Presidential Palace.
The army's history dates back to the unification of Italy in the 1850s and 1860s. The army fought in colonial engagements in China, Libya (1911-1912), northern Italy against permanence of the socviet bloc the army prepared itself to defend against a Warsaw Pact invasion from the east, as well as the protection from the Lybian desert, the Eastern Africa and the western Italian border.
As of 2012, the ENR consists of four line Army Corps, alongside two other Corps: Alpine Troops Corps and a Quick Action Corps.
Contents
Personnel
There are three classes of personnel in the National Republican Army: professional, volunteer and conscript. As of 2012, the Italian Social Republic has mandatory military service (conscription) of 24 months for all males between the ages of 18 and 45.
Citizens discharged from active service are normally placed in the Reserve and are subject to periodic recall of 1–10 days at irregular intervals. Conscript enlisted men and non-commissioned officers wear special rank insignia to differentiate them from volunteers.
Professional officers graduate from the Military Academy (Accademia Militare) in Modena and then from the Application School (Scuola di Applicazione) in Turin, while the rest graduate from various Military Schools according to their specialization.
Supreme Command
The Supreme Command (Comando Supremo) of the National Republican Army is represented by the Army General Staff (Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito, SME) in Rome, which is the body appointed to develop the policy of the Armed Force. For the activity of command and control over units of the Army, the Chief of Staff of the ENR - who holds the rank of Army General - has four High Commands, governed by four Army Corps Generals and by Inspectorate headed by a Lieutenant General. These five institutions with the SME are called, as a whole, "Supreme Command":
- Land Forces Command (Comando delle Forze Terrestri), headquartered in Milan. It is responsible for organizing maneuver and operational units of the Army and controls all the manouver Corps.
- Military Command of the Capital (Comando Militare della Capitale), based in Rome. It coordinates the activities related to the recruitment and Propaganda in the national territory and directs all Military Regions.
- Logistic Command (Comando Logistico): headquartered in Rome which depend on the technical and functional units of logistics support and logistics for grip.
- Army Training Command and Application School of Turin (Comando Formazione dell'Esercito e Scuola di Applicazione), is responsible for the initial training of all military personnel of the Army.
- Inspectorate of Infrastructures (Ispettorato delle Infrastrutture): hierarchically presiding authorities of the Works and State Property Service.
It is to note that these Commands are closely linked to the Army General Staff, and that they are in no way capable of autonomous decisions.
Army General Staff
The Army General Staff (Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito, SME) is the top-level body, assigned to the general co-ordination of the whole Supreme Command and of the Army. It is headed by an Army Corps General with Special Tasks, who holds the title of Under-Chief of Staff (Sottocapo di Stato Maggiore).
In order to fulfill its institutional goals, the Under-Chief of Staff uses three offices (Special Operations, Administration, and Under-Chief of Staff Office), the Department of Ground Transformation and five Units, that in turn control:
- The Army Selection and recruitment National Centre (Centro Selezione Reclutamento Nazionale Esercito, CSRNE);
- Military Penitentiary Organization;
- Army Olympic Sports Centre;
- Central Logistics Group.
Always within the SME, but reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, there is the General Office of the Chief of Staff, the Department of Employment of the Personnel of the Army and the Administration Directorate.
In addition, the Historical Office, the Central Military Library and the Headquarters of the security, prevention and protection service, whose purpose is to coordinate the activities related to the accident prevention regulations of the Army, depend on the Under-Chief of Staff although these offices are not part of the Army General Staff.
Special Operations Office
The Army Special Forces Command (Comando Forze Speciali Esercito, COM.FO.S.E.) is not a deployment command, being this role previously attributed entirely to the joint COFS, but it has the responsibility to devise, organize and conduct the training and preparation of Army Special Forces and Special Operations Forces.
The COMFOSE is the body responsible for harmonizing the common needs and to support, coordinate, rationalize and direct the action of these highly specialized units in the vital areas of recruitment, training, preparation, research and selection of materials, as well as for doctrinal elaboration and rules of use: the COMFOSE is placed directly under the Chief of Staff of the Army, interfacing with the Special Operations Office.
General Staff Units
The General Staff is structured on five Units and a Department:
- Unit I - Personnel legal and economic affairs: it oversees the policies of the military personnel. It is divided into two Sections, led by the Deputy Unit Commander and by the Commander of the CSRNE.
- The Deputy Unit Commander directs three offices: Recruitment Status and Advancement Office; Economic Affairs Office; Legal Office.
- The Commander of CSRNE directs: the Army Selection and recruitment National Centre (Foligno); the six Centers of Conscripted Personnel Selection (Padua, Rome, Naples, Bari, Palermo, Cagliari).
- Unit II - General and Financial Planning: has the task of "looking to the future" in all fields of the Armed Force. In this context, it executes the subsequent programming.
- Unit III - Use of Force and Army Operations Centre: it conducts research, development and general guidance in the fields of operational planning. The Unit is divided into three major areas directed by the Deputy Unit Commander - Security Officer, the Deputy Chief Operations Centre and the Deputy Chief of the Forces Preparation Centre.
- The Deputy Unit Commander commands the "Military Penitentiary Organization", the Office of Information and Security and the National Republican Guard Detachment SME.
- The Deputy Chief Operations Centre commands the Plans Office and the Current Operations Office (Operations Room).
- The Deputy Chief of the Forces Preparation Centre commands the Training Office, the Doctrine and Lessons Learned Office, Weaponry Control Section and Military Penitentiary Organization.
- Unit IV - Logistics: it oversees the design and development of the choices for the Army logistics. Unlike the other Units of the SME, the is organized into two "areas", which are dedicated to "Weapon Systems" and the "C4IEW and Infrastructures". Each "area" is divided into "Offices" in turn divided into "Sections".
- Unit V - General Affairs: it is responsible for the matter "Personnel welfare", with particular reference to social protection and welfare benefits. The Unit oversees ceremonial and external relations, coordinating the grant of the Army competitions. The Unit also manages marketing and propaganda communications of the Army, in particular for everything related to the Web and Recruitment. The Unit is also custodian of the historical heritage of the Armed Force. The Unit V - General Affairs is ordered on five offices: General Affairs Office, Press Office, Documentary Flows and IT Protocol Office, Marketing and Internet Office, Historical Office. Under the Unit V, there is the Central Logistics Group.
- Department of Ground Transormation: has the mandate to coordinate and direct the process of modernization of the Ground military instrument, with a holistic approach of the DOTMLPFI type.
Operational Forces
The National Republican Army consists of six Army Corps: the first four Corps are the line Corps, and they are homogeneously distributed across Italy; fifth Army Corps is the Alpine Army Corps, and it is headquartered in Bolzano and its formations guard the Alpi and some regions of the Appennini; the sixth Army Corps is the Quick Action Corps, headquartered in Palermo and responsible of quick reaction duties. The Metropolitan Army consists of 26 Combat Divisions and some Combat Brigades: five Armoured Divisions, 16 Mechanized Infantry Divisions, five Alpine Divisions, one Rocket Artillery Brigade, one Airborne Brigade, one Marine Infantry Brigade and four Paratrooper Brigades.
- 1st Army Corps: HQ Rome
- 1st Armoured Division "Ariete"
- 1st Mechanized Infantry Division "Granatieri d'Italia"
- 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division (Bersaglieri) "Garibaldi"
- 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division "Sforzesca"
- 4th Mechanized Infantry Division "Roma"
- 1st Paratrooper Brigade "Folgore"
- Rocket Artillery Brigade "Aspis"
- 2nd Army Corps: HQ Milan
- 2nd Armoured Division "Centauro"
- 5th Mechanized Infantry Division (Bersaglieri) "Cacciatori d'Africa"
- 6th Mechanized Infantry Division "Sassari"
- 7th Mechanized Infantry Division "Lupi di Toscana"
- 16th Mechanized Infantry Division "Lazio"
- 2nd Paratrooper Brigade "Nembo"
- 3rd Army Corps: HQ Neaples
- 3rd Armoured Division "Freccia"
- 8th Mechanized Infantry Division "Cagliari"
- 9th Mechanized Infantry Division (Bersaglieri) "Repubblica"
- 10th Mechanized Infantry Division "Brennero"
- 15th Mechanized Infantry Division "Lombardia"
- 3rd Paratrooper Brigade "Ciclone"
- 4th Army Corps: HQ Verona
- 4th Armoured Division "Bir El Gobi"
- 11th Mechanized Infantry Division "Mantova"
- 12th Mechanized Infantry Division (Bersaglieri) "Mazzini"
- 13th Mechanized Infantry Division "Friuli"
- 14th Mechazined Infantry Division "Veneto"
- 4th Paratrooper Brigade "Uragano"
- 5th Alpine Army Corps: HQ Bolzano
- 1st Alpine Division "Taurinense"
- 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina"
- 3rd Alpine Division "Julia"
- 4th Alpine Division "Cacciatori delle Alpi"
- 5th Alpine Division "Monte Rosa"
- 6th Quick Action Corps: HQ Palermo
- 5th Armoured Division "Dardo"
- 5th Airborne Brigade "La Spezia"
- 1st Marine Infantry Brigade "San Marco"
plus other units.
Military Command of the Capital
The Military Command of the Capital (Comando Militare della Capitale) is the command that directs the activities related to the recruitment and Propaganda in the country. The Command reports directly to the Chief of Staff of the ENR and it employs Army Military Commands, having under it all Logistics Bases of the National Republican Army. For this sector is divided into Military Command North East (Padova), North (Turin), Centre (Florence) and South (Neaples). The Autonomous Command Sardinia (Cagliari) also depends on the Military Command of the Capital.
Military Commands
The Military Commands are the territorial commands of the Army, directing activities related to recruitment and propaganda in the area. They are headed by a Division General. Army Military Commands lead activities related to recruitment and propaganda in the Region assigned, and they are led by a Brigade General. Every Military Command has a Battalion attached to it, while Army Military Commands have a Company: it is to note that in Rome (Military Command of the Capital which exercise nation-wide, Military Command-level and Army Military Command-level functions) a whole Regiment is assigned, while in Cagliari a Battalion belonging to the Rome regiment is detached to the Autonomous Command.
- Military Command North: HQ Turin
- Army Military Command Piedmont: HQ Turin
- Army Military Command Liguria: HQ Genoa
- Army Military Command Lombardy: HQ Milan
- Military Command North East: HQ Padua
- Army Military Command Veneto: HQ Padua
- Army Military Command Dalmatia: HQ Trieste (detached see: Ragusa)
- Army Military Command Friuli: HQ Udine
- Army Military Command Trentino: HQ Trento
- Military Command Centre: HQ Florence
- Army Military Command Tuscany: HQ Florence
- Army Military Command Romagna: HQ Bologna
- Army Military Command Marche: HQ Ancona
- Army Military Command Abruzzi: HQ L'Aquila
- Army Military Command Umbria: HQ Perugia
- Military Command South: HQ Neaples
- Army Military Command Campania: HQ Neaples
- Army Military Command Puglia: HQ Bari
- Army Military Command Calabria and Lucania: HQ Reggio di Calabria
- Army Military Command Sicily: HQ Palermo
Logistic Command of the Army
The Army Logistic Command conducts management activities and develops a harmonious activity of command, coordination and control over all configurations logistics of the Armed Forces.
In particular, ensure logistical support of Commands and Units of the Army, being responsible for the care of personnel and logistics for materials and equipment in use and the use of financial resources allocated to the logistics sector.
Higher Commands
The Higher Commands (Comandi Superiori) are ENR commands which deal with defence issues related to the Autonomous Social Republics. These Commands are held by an Army Corps General, and retain an high degree of autonomy from the Supreme Command: in peacetime they are under operational control of their Higher Commander (Comandante Superiore), which in turn depends on the Duce. For what is related to equipment, training and general policy, they depend on the Supreme Command. However, in wartimes, they depend on only the Army General Staff. It is to note that Autonomous Social Republic Governments have no authority over the relevant Higher Command. As of 2013, three Higher Commands exist:
- Higher Command Albania: HQ Tirana
- Higher Command Libya: HQ Tripoli
- Higher Command Italian East Africa: HQ Adis Abeba
Arms and Corps
The Army National Republican lines six Arms and three Corps. The former are the Arms of Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, Transmission, Transportation and Materials. The Corps are the Army Medical Corps, the Corps of Administration and Commissariat of the Army, the Army Corps of Engineers.
In turn, Arms and Corps are composed of "specialties" that match the type of fight that each department is able to support and for which is structured and prepared.
Arm of Infantry
The Arm of Infantry an Arm of is Italian Army that employs fighters on foot, called the infantrymen.
The Infantry is the backbone of the Armed Force since the majority of its operating units belong precisely the weapon of infantry. The Arm has its roots in ancient legions of ancient Rome, but the official date of his birth is associated with that of the establishment of the Italian Army (May 4, 1861).
The Arm of Infantry includes within the specialties of:
- Mechanized Infantry
- Grenadiers
- Alpine
- Paratroopers
- Lagunari
- Bersaglieri
- Arrest Infantry
Bersaglieri
The Bersaglieri are an elite Infantry Specialty of the National Republican Army, originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Piedmontese Army, later to become the Royal Italian Army. They have always been a high-mobility light infantry unit, and can still be recognized by the distinctive wide brimmed hat that they wear (only in dress uniform in modern times), decorated with black capercaillie feathers. The feathers are usually applied to their combat helmets. Another distinctive trait of the Bersaglieri is the fast jog pace they keep on parades, instead of marching.
Currently, there are four Bersaglieri Divisions: "Garibaldi", "Cacciatori d'Africa", "Repubblica" and "Mazzini". They are named after pillars of the Republican nature of the State, with the exception of the "Cacciatori d'Africa" ("African Hunters"), which holds and keeps traditions and honours of the Bersaglieri units employed in the African War.
History
The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia could not afford large numbers of cavalry, so a quick-moving infantry corps of marksmen was needed. These troops were trained to high physical and marksmanship standards. A level of independence and initiative was also encouraged. The first public appearance of the Bersaglieri was on 1 July 1836. They marched through Turin with the rapid, high-stepping gait still used by the Bersaglieri even during barracks duty - on penalty of punishment if they do not.
During World War I, the 12 regiments of Bersaglieri fought with distinction. A contingent of Bersaglieri was sent to participate in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in 1917.
After the war, restructuring of the Italian Army reduced the number of Bersaglieri battalions to two per regiment. A new role was seen for the light infantry as part of Italy’s commitment to Mobile Warfare. Elite units with high morale and an aggressive spirit were seen as one way to break such tactical stalemates as the trench warfare of 1915-18.
Italy’s Bersaglieri regiments were expanded from two to three battalions each during the African War. However, the Army resisted any temptation to dilute their quality, and recruits continued to be of above-average size and stamina. They endured intense physical training, as well as having to qualify as marksmen. The Bersaglieri valiantly fought in North Africa.
While in the past the mobility of the Bersaglieri was helped by their training in running and by the aid of bicycles, regiments currently in service are all mechanised. The modern Bersaglieri have served as peacekeepers in Lebanese and Yugoslav Civil War. Bersaglieri traditions are still stressed. The Bersaglieri collar patches are purple-red "flames". Enlisted troops still wear the red fez. Officers wear black berets with their ordinary uniforms, but the feathered "vaira" in ceremonial uniform. They also wear black gloves, while other Army corps wear white ones. Each Bersaglieri unit had a band called a "fanfara", who plays their instruments at the run while on parade. The "fanfara" does not contain percussion instruments.
