National Vanguard (Italy)
| National Vanguard | |
|---|---|
| Avanguardia Nazionale | |
 Flag of the Avanguardia Nazionale | |
| Leaders | Stefano Delle Chiaie Adriano Tilgher |
| Dates of operation | 1960–1976 |
| Active regions | Italy |
| Ideology | Neo-fascism Neo-Nazism |
| Major actions | Right-wing terrorism |
| Allies | Ordine Nuovo |
| Battles and wars | Years of Lead |
TheNational Vanguard(Italian:Avanguardia Nazionale) is a name that has been used for at least twoneo-fascistandneo-Nazigroups inItaly.
Original group
[edit]The original National Vanguard was an extra-parliamentary movement formed as a breakaway group from theItalian Social Movement(MSI) byStefano Delle Chiaiein 1960, initially based around a group of youths recruited by the government to break up leftist meetings.[1]The Vanguard rejected the parliamentary route of the Social Movement, preferring instead to work outside the political system to subvertdemocracyand bring about a return tofascism.A leaflet produced by the group described them as in favour of "man-to-man engagements" in which their members were to be encouraged to be as ruthless as possible.[2]
Members of the movement were frequently denounced as terrorists and it was claimed that Della Chiaie had links to bomb making concerns inSpain.The group also had close links withOrdine Nuovoand other extremist groups.Vincenzo Vinciguerrawas a notorious member of the group. The group was adjudged responsible for a series of bomb attacks in Italy in 1969, the most notorious of which was thePiazza Fontana bombing.[3]The group also took a leading role in the abortive coup attempt byJunio Valerio Borghesethe following year.[4]
Avanguardia Nazionale is also accused of organising the assassination of Italian magistrateVittorio Occorsio,allegedly employing arms supplied by theCIAvia its contacts in Francoist Spain, although no firm evidence exists to support this allegation. For the killingPierluigi Concutelli,not a member of Avanguardia Nazionale at the time, served a life sentence in Italy. Avanguardia Nazionale memberMario Ricciparticipated to the 1978 assassination ofArgala,theetarrawho had taken part, five years before, in the assassination ofFrancisco Franco's prime minister,Luis Carrero Blanco.[5]
Second group
[edit]A second group bearing this name was set up in 1970 byAdriano Tilgher,but this movement was outlawed by theItalian government,who saw it as an attempt to refound theNational Fascist Party.[6]
Magazine
[edit]A neo-fascist magazine entitledAvanguardiacontinues to be published monthly. It may claim to be the official organ of the National Vanguard, although the movement remains illegal in Italy—the official movement to whichAvanguardiais connected is theComunità Politica di Avanguardia(Political Vanguard Community).
References
[edit]- ^Geoffrey Harris,The Dark Side of Europe,Edinburgh University Press, 1994, p. 115
- ^Magnus Linklater, Isabel Hilton & Neal Ascherson,The Fourth Reich: Klaus Barbie and the Neo-Fascist Connection,Hodder & Stoughton, 1984, p. 205
- ^Linklater, Hilton & Ascherson,Fourth Reich,pp. 206-207
- ^Linklater, Hilton & Ascherson,Fourth Reich,p. 209
- ^«Yo maté al asesino de Carrero Blanco»,El Mundo,December 21, 2003(in Spanish)
- ^Biography from Tilgher's websiteArchived2013-07-25 at theWayback Machine
