Editing “Strategy of Tension” (section)

==Operations==
The strategy of tension involved orchestrating terrorist attacks—bombings, massacres, and assassinations carried out by fascist groups but falsely attributed to others. The goal was to discredit them, particularly the PCI, and create public demand for law-and-order policies, potentially paving the way for a  coup or authoritarian regime. 

The campaign relied on a network of actors, including:

	•	Neo-fascist groups like [[Ordine Nuovo]] and [[Avanguardia Nazionale]], which provided operatives.
	•	Operation Gladio, which supplied explosives, training, and coordination.
	•	P2, led by Licio Gelli, which served as a clandestine hub linking military, intelligence, political, and financial elites.
	•	Italian intelligence (SID/SIFAR), infiltrated by P2 members like General Vito Miceli, which manipulated investigations to protect perpetrators.
	•	CIA and NATO, which funded and endorsed the strategy to secure Italy’s 'anti-communist' stance.

The term “strategy of tension” was coined by journalist Franco “Ciccio” Franco and later substantiated by confessions from fascist [[Vincenzo Vinciguerra]], who described it as a deliberate effort to “destabilize to stabilize” by creating chaos to reinforce state power.