On the role of Italian Armed Forces in Twilight

[Muti]

But from 1987 until 1994 the main party was Democrazia Cristiana, a christian democratic party. From 1994 until 1996 it was Forza Italia, the liberal-conservative party led by Silvio Berlusconi.

As you surely know, Berlusconi is a politician, entrepreneur and media tycoon with a strong tendency to support USA foreign policu even if it divide the US and founding members of the European Union like France or Germany. The presence of Berlusconi in the political scenario since 1994 resulted in a rebalancing of relations between all Mediterranean countries. We have also to remember that Berlusconi was a solid ally of President Bush due to italian military support in Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Here in Italy there was a political scandal with the discovery of a masonic lodge called "Propaganda 2" (P2) who aimed to change the country political system to a more authoritarian regime and the people who took part of this lodge included members of the secret services and personalities from policy, business, military and media, even Berlusconi. This lodge was dissolved in the end of 1981 but his secret political program was very similar to the political program of Berlusconi's party.

In my opinion, at the time of the Twilight War, the power of left parties was very poor. The idea of sabotage actions by left movements is weak because since the end of the left terrorist acts here in Italy after the 70s, the action of police forces and secret services are more effective and all those movements are nipped on birth at the point that we never had such internal terrorist actions from very long time.

About the involvment of Hungary, I'd like to publish soon a detailed order of battle. Nice idea!

[James Langham]

As a possible alternative history (based on 2.2):

* With the return of the Soviet hard liners a decision is made to damage NATO unity.

* Increased Soviet intelligence gathering identifies some of the later scandals earlier.

* A mix of blackmail and careful leaking collapses the government.

* Disillusioned with the right, the left sneaks in, probably as part of a coalition.

* With the start of the war, there are protests at the US bases demanding their removal.

* A demonstration turns violent and deaths occur when protesters break into the base and are shot by jumpy US troops who mistake them for Pact infiltrators.

* The Italian government protests.

* The US refuses to hand over the servicemen for trial.

* Amid this the left gains further support for the anti-US stance.

This should move the history to a point where canon is more viable.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by James Langham

This should move the history to a point where canon is more viable.

I find it plausible.

[Muti]

In 1998 there was an incident in a ski resort on the Dolomites. 20 people died because of USMC EA-6B Prowler who cut the cables of an aerial tramway. The aircraft was on a low altitude training mission. After that the italian court of Trento recognized that NATO treaties (London Agreement of 19 June 1951) gave jurisdiction to US military courts.

The pilot and the navigator were put on trial in the USA and found not guilty even if latter they were found guilty of obstruction of justice because they destroyed a videotape recording from the plane and so they were dismissed from USMC.

Anyway, this disaster strained the relations between US and Italy but nothing happened after... I also remember other "incidents" like that: the killing of a Major General of the SISMI (the italian military security and intelligence service) in 2005 in Iraq by a US Guardsman, for example, and the leftist parties asked for the retreat of italian troops from Iraq but, again, nothing happened...

[Olefin]

For Italy to move to the left enough to fully embrace a war against NATO, where units stay loyal until the whole world is on the point of collapse in 2000, would have to take a truly shattering event - i.e. on the scale of a US bomber with a nuke on board crashing into Italian soil and the nuke detonating or something else literally earth shaking.

Or the rise of a new Mussolini, but one who can somehow unite all the fractous leftist parts of Italy to where they can overpower the rightists.

[Muti]

Time permitting I'd like to write down a sourcebook on Italy in Twilight War according to canon so I'll accept the role of Italy in WARPAC but just to make the sourcebook useful for the players.