Editing “strategy of tension” (section)

==Operations==
The strategy of tension involved orchestrating terrorist attacks—bombings, massacres, and assassinations—carried out by neo-fascist groups but falsely attributed to anarchists or leftist militants. The goal was to discredit the left, particularly the PCI, and create public demand for law-and-order policies, potentially paving the way for a right-wing 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.
	•	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 neo-fascist Vincenzo Vinciguerra, who described it as a deliberate effort to “destabilize to stabilize” by creating chaos to reinforce state power.