2. Origins
The Red Brigades were the fundamentalist left wing terrorist organization of Italy in the 1970s.
Renato Curcio and his wife Margherita Cagol formed the organization as college students at the University of Trento.

3. Ideologies Ideologies of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin
Marxism hypothesizes the theory and practices of communism
Anti-fascism and support for a communist revolution

4. Objectives
To weaken the Italian democracy
Separate Italy from NATO

5. Doctrines
“Dictatorship of the Proletariat” (the political power lies within the working class)
Armed Propaganda
Attack on the Italian government
Civil War

6. Leadership & Structure
Main points!
Founders-Who/What/Why
Change in Regime-Why/How
Structural Leadership Analysis
Major Fallout of Red Brigades

7. Leadership Founders Renato Curcio Margherita Cagot
Alberto Franceschini
Met at University of Trento
Conducted small kidnappings and bombings

8. Leadership Structure Hierarchical Bureaucracy
Hierarchical-meaning the leaders and founders held all the power.
Bureaucracy-meaning all decisions were made by those in power.

9. Leadership Changes afoot!
Renato Curcio & Alberto Franceschini Arrested in 1971
Escaped Prison in 1975 (February)
Margherita Cagot killed in shootout in 1975 (June)
Curcio was imprisoned again in 1976

10. Leadership Mario Moretti-kidnapping
Aldo Moro-38th Prime Minister of Italy
Kept 54 days and shot 11 times
Turning point
Most members fled to France and South America

11. Strategy and Methods of Operation
In 1970 the Northwest regions of Italy including: Milan, Rome, and Turin
The Red Brigades were influenced with their ideology and methods by leftist and militant movements all over the world
Methods of operation was primarily based off the elements of the Maoist cultural revolution in China ( ) AND the Leninist Bolshevik revolution in Russia (1917)
Both sociopolitical/ proletariat movements to overthrow a fascist government symbolizing the Italian State and capitalism
- It was not until 1972 that the strategy for gaining attention with attacks transitioned from property such as office raids and car arson to people known in the public eye
brought on the first kidnapping, thus expanding their range of targets to the mass of any right-wing political figure or employees to the State

12. Methods of the BR Operations
-Attack on property
- Car Arsons
- Office Raids
- Kidnapping: employees of the state, political heads
-Guerrilla Warfare, knee-capping

13. Support, Recruitment & Funding

14. Support
Students
Factory Workers

15. Recruitment
Universities
Factories
Other Leftist Extremist Groups

16. Funding
Robberies
Kidnappings

17. Decline of Support Change in Strategy Decline of the Workers Struggle
Increased Violence
Aldo Moro 1978
Guido Rossa 1979
Decline of the Workers Struggle