The Carabinieri Mobile Units Division () is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of military duties abroad, the military police tasks when abroad, the support to Territorial Organization, the participation in civil protection operations and to ensure the emergency reserve for the General Command.
History Carabinieri units devoted to the riot control and to tactical tasks experienced several organizational phases, from late 1910s to the present day. While from 1919 until 1963 Carabinieri riot units were under the exclusive control of Carabinieri Legions (inter-provincial commands), since 1963 they have been under an unified command: from 1963 to 2000 the Command was set at the Brigade level, while the present-day Division was established in 2001.
1919-1923 The history of the branch of the Carabinieri specifically dedicated to quell massive civil disturbances dates back in 1919, when 18 Carabinieri Autonomous Mobile Battalions (Battaglioni Mobili Autonomi) were established in order to deal with the Biennio Rosso.
Before 1919, the operational approach to riot control consisted in drawing Carabinieri from the territorial stations near the event, replacing them with Carabinieri drawn in turn from other Stations. Since 1908 several proposes had been made by Carabinieri officers to form organic Carabinieri units in order not to divert Carabinieri from the territorial police service and to improve the harmony within the ranks of Carabinieri assigned to public order services.pp. 271–273 the proposal was suspended due to the outbreak of the World War I.p. 14
At the end of the World War I, the Royal Italian Army was reduced in size and both the Royal Carabinieri and the Royal Guard of Public Security were augmented.p. 268 Following the end of the War, participants to rallies increased in numbers and Army units deployed in internal order services significantly decreased. The Arm of Carabinieri, in order to sustain the increasingly heavy duty, established for the first time outside war several Army-style Battalions.pp. 269–270
On 7 December 1918, the Carabinieri General Command elaborated a proposal for War Minister Alberico Albricci, assuming the establishment of 15p. 282 to 16p. 16 Mobile Battalions under the relevant Carabinieri Legion. The total strength of the Mobile Battalions was envisioned in 5,000 Carabinieri. According to the proposal, each Battalion should have had 5 trucks with attached drivers and mechanics, two motorcycles for commanders of the detachments and a light car for the commanding Colonel.pp. 280–282 Under the 1918 proposal, Legions with two Mobile Battalions assigned were to be led by a Brigadier General, with two Colonels, one of which assigned to the task of commanding the Battalioni Group.p. 16
On 13 March 1919, the War Ministry ordered the provisional establishment of 16 Carabinieri Mobile Battalions, whose organization was to be dealt with by the General Command.p. 16 On 30 March 1919, Commandant General Luigi Cauvin issued executive orders for the establishment of the Mobile Battalions of the Royal Carabinieri. According to Article 3 of the executive orders, the Carabinieri Mobile Battalion was organized into:p. 17 Battalion HQ 3 Infantry Companies, (4 Platoons each) 1 Cyclists Companies (2 Platoons)
Each Mobile Battalion was to be led by a Lieutenant Colonel (Mobile Battalions of Alessandria, Genoa, Verona, Trieste, Treviso, Bologna, Ancona, Cagliari, Bari, two of the three Battalions of Rome, one of the two Battalions of Turin, Milan, Naples, Florence and Palermo)p. 19 or by a Major (Mobile Battalions of Udine, Taranto, Catania, one Mobile Battalion in Rome, Turin, Milan, Florence, Naples and Palermo),p. 19 assisted by an Aide ranking Lieutenant, each Company was to be led by a Captain, while Platoons could be led by a Lieutenant, a Second Lieutenant or by a senior Sub-Officer.p. 17 The strength of each Mobile Battalions was to be 782 officers and troops. According to Article 7, Carabinieri of the Mobile Battalions were to be deployed in organic units (Platoon, Company, or the whole Battalion) always under their own subofficers and officers. The training was specifically designed for public order and riot control services.pp. 284–286 One quarter of the strength of each battalion was to be assigned to the territorial support of the relevant Legion.p. 17 Battalions were to be housed in separate barracks from other Royal Carabinieri and, in case of more than one Battalion assigned to the same city, on the opposite side of the urban centre; at least one officer had to be housed in the barracks.p. 18
After the widespread civil unrest of Spring-Summer 1919,p. 105 the Carabinieri accelerated on the establishment of the Mobile Battalions, despite personnel shortages.p. 106 On 25 August 1919, another study elaborated by the General Command proposed the establishment of Mobile Battalions as a quick reaction force, also in response to insurrections to be dealt with by the Army; the following day, a memorandum by the General Command advised against the establishment of the military Royal Guard of Public Security, a standing corps with military status dealing exclusively with civil disturbances.p. 107 The 1919 proposal envisioned therefore a mechanized unit consisting of Cyclist Companies, special trains (also available for natural disasters), and fast trucks; the training for personnel assigned to the Battalions was designed in order to improve the cohesion and decision.pp. 283–284
The Royal Decree of 2 October 1919, no. 1802 sanctioned the existing situation, authorizing the raising of the Carabinieri Mobile Battalions.p. 21
Pursuant the Royal Decree of 20 April 1920, no. 451, eighteen Autonomous Mobile Battalions were raised for a total strength of 12,282 Carabinieri.pp. 279–280 These carried the name of their garrison cities and were marked with serial number if more than one Battalion were assigned in the same city: Turin (2 Battalions), Alessandria, Genoa, Milan (2 Battalions), Verona, Florence, Bologna, Ancona, Rome (2 Battalions), Naples (2 Battalions), Bari, Palermo, Catania. The 1920 Battalions were organized into HQ and HQ Section 3 Carabinieri Companies; 1 Carabinieri Cyclist Company; 1 Machine-guns Section (2 Sections for seven Mobile Battalions: Torino 1°, Milano 1°, Firenze, Roma 1°, Roma 2°, Roma 3°, Palermo)p. 24
Each Battalion had a total force of 750 men under the command of a lieutenant colonel.pp. 279–280 Mobile Battalions in Alessandria, Treviso, Cagliari, Catanzaro and Messina were established outside the 1918 plan, due to evolving needs.pp. 280–282
Two years later, in 1922, six Battalions were disbanded and at the next year the remaining Battalions followed. However, three Battalions subordinated to the local Legion remained in existence: two in Rome and one in Palermo. In December 1922, the Royal Guard of Public Security (a military corps exclusively dedicated to riot control operations) was merged into the Carabinieri.p. 407
Operations The first period of existence of Mobile Battalions was short but intense. In 1919 the most serious disturbances occurred in Novara, Milan, Brescia, Rome, Piombino, Viareggio, Corenza and Venice, Apulia and Piedmont. The 1st Bersaglieri Regiment mutinied in Ancona in June 1920, but it was brought down by a Carabinieri Battalion. In 1921 serious disturbances erupted in several municipalities of Campania, including Castellamare di Stabia, in the major towns and cities of Tuscany, in Apulia, including Bari, and in Rome. In the same years, the Blackshirts movement clashed with leftist formations and strikes increased.
Between 1919 and 1920, the Carabinieri performed 233 public order and riot control operations and suffered 517 casualties (43 dead and 474 wounded). Facing increasingly combative demonstrations, the government authorities left loose rules of engagement to the police forces, with the result of bloody clashes.
According to Arnaldo Grilli and Antonio Picci, between 1919 and 1922, Carabinieri Mobile Battalions were awarded with 2 Gold Medals of Military Valour, 55 Silver Medals of Military Valour, 62 Bronze Medals of Military Valour, as well as hundreds of Solemn commendations.
1940-1963 In 1940, the new Army organization foresaw four Carabinieri Battalions, while in 1945 12 Battalions (renamed Mobile Battalions) were re-established, in order to deal with the civil unrest following the end of the civil war, along with four Mobile Battalion Groups (which were brigades). The 1945-established Mobile Battalions were equipped, supplied and maintained by the relevant Carabinieri Legion of their AOR. The Mobile Battalions Groups were: 1st Group (HQ Milan), subordinated to the 1st Carabinieri Division "Pastrengo" and including Battalions based in Turin, Milan, Genoa and Padua 2nd Group (HQ Florence), subordinated to the 2nd Carabinieri Division "Podgora", including Bologna and Florence Battalions 3rd Group (HQ Rome), subordinated to the 2nd Carabinieri Division "Podgora", including Battalions "Lazio", "Rome" and "Cagliari" 4th Group (HQ Naples), subordinated to the 3rd Carabinieri Division "Ogaden", with Naples, Bari and Palermo Battalions
Each group was organized into a brigade or regimental HQ with the battalions reporting to it.
The Mobile Battalions were provided of new vehicles in order to enable them to deploy rapidly.
In the immediate aftermaths of World War II, both police and Carabinieri were strictly prohibited by armistice clauses to have hand grenades, machine guns, rifles and even handguns.pp. 63–64 Ferruccio Parri, Prime Minister in 1945, supported the reinforcement of the Carabinieri in order to enable them to counter threats to public order.p. 64,85 In 1945 Carabinieri sustained 29 casualties during public order services.p. 67
In 1949 Minister of Interior Mario Scelba asked the General Command of the Carabinieri and Minister of Defence Randolfo Pacciardi to provide Carabinieri with batons and other riot-specific equipment. Both the General Command and the Defence Minister refused.pp. 144–146 According to Virgilio Ilari, as of 1949 the Carabinieri mobile forces consisted of 13 Battalions and 34 Trucked Units (Nuclei Autocarrati), with an updated equipment. Trucked Units were part of Carabinieri Legions. On 6 August 1956, the blue beret was assigned to mobile units (both Mobile Battalions and Trucked Units).
On 26 August 1949, the Banditry Repression Forces Command was established under Colonel Ugo Luca in order to deal with banditry in Sicily.p. 170 Between 1951 and 1963, a new Parachute Carabinieri Battalion, dedicated to airborne operations in support of civil authorities in peacetime, was in active servicep. 183
After the end of the Second World War, in Italy occurred several security crisis: banditism in Sicily and in Sardinia, and civil disturbances across the country.pp. 168–169 Such disturbances were politically motivated and, as such, differently reported.pp. 61–63
In the aftermaths of World War II (between 1946 and 1948), Carabinieri managed to evade the majority of the riot control operations;p. 89,135 nonetheless, during riot control operations carried out from the end of the war to 1948, 101 Carabinieri died, while 757 others were wounded. According to Antonio Sannino, the fact that the Carabinieri remained hostile to Communists' political approaches caused the British support to them.p. 86
Between 1945 and 1948, Carabinieri underwent a massive rearmament in order to deal with institutional duties. In 1945 they had only 5 armoured vehicles and 79 trucks; the armoured fleet grew to 264 armoured vehicles and 1358 transport trucks in 1948.p. 521
1963-2000