Italian Neofascism

During the Cold War Italy witnessed the existence of an anomalous version of a civil conflict, defined as a ''creeping'' or a ''low-intensity'' civil war. Political violence escalated, including bomb attacks against civilians, starting with a massacre in Milan, on 12 December 1969, and culminating with the massacre in Bologna, on 2 August 1980. Making use of the literature on national reconciliation and narrative psychology theory, this book examines the fight over the ''judicial'' and the ''historical'' truth in Italy today, through a contrasting analysis of judicial findings and the ''narratives of victimhood'' prevalent among representatives of both the post- and the neo-fascist right.

During the Cold War Italy witnessed the existence of an anomalous version of a civil conflict, defined as a 'creeping' or a 'low-intensity' civil war. Political violence escalated, including bomb attacks against civilians, starting with a massacre in Milan, on 12 December 1969, and culminating with the massacre in Bologna, on 2 August 1980. Making use of the literature on national reconciliation and narrative psychology theory, this book examines the fight over the 'judicial' and the 'historical' truth in Italy today, through a contrasting analysis of judicial findings and the 'narratives of victimhood' prevalent among representatives of both the post- and the neo-fascist right.

List of Abbreviations
Preface
Acknowledgements

Chapter 1. Introduction

PART I: VILLAINS? THE JUDICIAL TRUTH

Introduction to Part I

Chapter 2. The Role of Italian Neofascism in Stragismo and the Strategy of Tension
Chapter 3. The Role of the Armed Forces and Intelligence Structures
Chapter 4. Interpretations of the Strategy of Tension in Accordance with Judicial Findings

Conclusion to Part I

PART II: VICTIMS? THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO THE NEO- AND POSTFASCIST RIGHT

Introduction to Part II

Chapter 5. Narratives of Victimhood: The Right's Reconstructions and Interpretations of Stragismo
Chapter 6. The Self-narratives of Extreme-right Protagonists of the Political Conflict

Conclusion to Part II

Chapter 7. Conclusion

Bibliography
Index