# Italian partisan brigades

The Italian partisan brigades were armed formations involved in the Italian resistance during the World War II.
They were formed on voluntary base by irregular soldiers and sometimes were organized by former army members who served in the Italian occupied territories. Those formations had been active between the 8 September 1943 (with the Badoglio Proclamation) and the end of the war on 6 May 1945.

## History

During the WWII, groups of partisans were formed after the Badoglio Proclamation by former members of the Royal Italian Army located in the north centre of Italy and in the territories occupied by the Kingdom like those of the Balkans. The former soldiers were then flanked by anti-fascists, exiles and expatriates.
In the autumn of 1943, the Direction of the Italian Communist Party suggested the formation of organized structures and promoted the creation of the Garibaldi battalions. These groups were conceived as assault brigades because they had to be immediately active but the organization would be formed during their activity.

### Components

During the war, new formations were continuously created until April 1945, and an important event was the creation of the General Command of Corpo Volontari della Libertà (CVL, "Corps of Freedom Volunteers") on 9 June 1944 in Milan, where the headquarters of main partisan organizations were located. The CVL represented the partisan movement among Allies and the Italian government and it had the purpose of coordinate brigades and local National Liberation Committees.
According to the communist members, the brigade formation implied a military-like model of organization with a hierarchy formed by General Command, divisions, brigades, battalions, companies, squads and groups. It was also introduced the charge of the "political commissar" according to the experiences of the October Revolution and the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. This kind of organization would be realized only in summer 1944, when also the other parties adopted the military-political structure, with or without "commissars" representing the party of reference.
Brigades of army-men were formed mainly abroad by former soldiers and officers who did not accepted to be humiliated and imprisoned by the Nazis. After the Armistice of Cassibile, Allies allowed the Kingdom to reorganize the remaining army forces which were initially left without any order but most soldiers decided to join the resistance brigades already active.
According to the newspaper Avvenire, catholic formations were often in contrast with the other ones of different political sides, but during the liberation war there was still a collaboration from both the sides. Catholics who actively took part to the Resistance were 65,000 - 80,000 out of about 200,000 partisans.
During the Resistance various formations merged and subdivided according to the situations of the operative areas, with different criteria and sizes. For example, some Garibaldi groups had a pyramidal structure:
* The Squad (Squadra), which was the lowest unit which was formed by 10-20 combatants
* Three Squads formed a Company (Compagnia) or Detachment (Distaccamento), with 30-60 combatants
* Three Companies or Detachment formed a Battalion (Battaglione) of 90-180 combatants
* Three Battalions formed a Brigade (Brigata) of 270-540 combatants
* Three Brigades formed a Division (Divisione) of 810-1620 combatants

### Political affiliations

Within the Corpo volontari della libertà there were the following political affiliations:
* Brigate Garibaldi, GAP and SAP were related to the Italian Communist Party (PCI)
* Brigate Giustizia e Libertà, led by Ferruccio Parri, were related to the Action Party (PdA)
* Brigate Matteotti were related to the Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity (the name of the Italian Socialist Party at the time) led by Sandro Pertini and Giuseppe Saragat.
* Brigate del popolo, Brigate Fiamme Verdi and Brigate Osoppo were related to the Christian Democracy (DC) and the catholic religion in general.
* Brigate Mazzini were related to the Italian Republican Party (PRI).
* The formations called badogliane (also known as azzurre or autonome) were mainly formed by those with liberal or conservative ideals, united by their loyalty towards the Monarchy. Born among the divisions of the Royal Army, they were affiliated with the House of Savoy and recognized Raffaele Cadorna as their military leader. The azzurre formations maintained their hierarchical structure and they could give to the Resistance their war expertise and relations with the Allied Forces, essential for supplies and aids.
* Organizzazione Franchi of Edgardo Sogno represented the Italian Liberal Party and the monarchicals.
* There were also Trotskyist organizations, like the Movimento Comunista d'Italia, and anarchic formations like Brigate Bruzzi Malatesta of Milan.
Sometimes names were not closely linked to the relative parties: for example, the Osoppo Brigades of Friuli, which were born with an important contributions of PdA, accepted their dependence on DC and the Friulian clergy. The Brigate Fiamme Verdi diversified themselves in the territory: the Lombard ones, formed by catholic intellectuals, became exclusive military formations with a liberal orientation; the ones of Reggio Emilia, instead, were directly led by DC as the Brigate del Popolo. The Mazzini Brigades in Veneto did not have a close relationship with PRI as the Lombard ones.

## Partisan mountain formations in April 1945
### In Italy

The following is a list of Division and Brigade Commands of partisan formations which operated in the mountains of centre-north Italy in April 1945, classified by partisan and historian Roberto Battaglia.
There were:
* 46 Garibaldi formations
* 33 GL (Giustizia e Libertà)
* 12 Matteotti
* 4 Fiamme Verdi
* 15 autonomous formations
| No. | Operative areas | Formations | Notes |
| 1 | Milan | Comando generale CVL Corpo volontari della libertà | |
| 2 | Ossola | Divisione Garibaldi Redi | |
| 3 | Ossola | Divisione Valtoce | |
| 4 | Ossola | Divisione Flaim | |
| 5 | Ossola | Divisione Beltrami | |
| 6 | Varese | Divisione Alto Milanese | |
| 7 | Varese | Brigata Greppi | |
| 8 | Varese | Brigata Passerini | |
| 9 | Varese | 1ª Brigata Loto | |
| 10 | Varese | Divisione Garibaldi Fratelli Varalli | |
| 11 | Varese | Divisione Garibaldi Pajetta | |
| 12 | II Aosta Valley | C 1ª Brigata Autonoma. Valle d'Aosta | |
| 13 | II Aosta Valley | Divisione Matteotti Aosta | |
| 14 | II Aosta Valley | 7ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Elter | |
| 15 | II Aosta Valley | 2ª Divisione Alpina GL Ferriera | |
| 16 | II Aosta Valley | Brigata Autonoma GL Leone | |
| 17 | I Biellese | 5ª Divisione Garibaldi R. Maffei | |
| 18 | I Biellese | 12ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Nedo | |
| 19 | III Canavesan Lanzo | 8ª Divisione Autonoma Giovane Piemonte | |
| 20 | III Canavesan Lanzo | Raggruppamento Brigata Matteotti Davito | |
| 21 | III Canavesan Lanzo | 7ª Divisione Garibaldi GL Canavesana | |
| 22 | III Canavesan Lanzo | Colonna GL R.Giua | |
| 23 | III Canavesan Lanzo | 2ª e 4ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Unificate | |
| 24 | IV Susa - Chisone | Brigata Matteotti Martorelli | |
| 25 | IV Susa - Chisone | 4ª Divisione Alpina GL Stellina | |
| 26 | IV Susa - Chisone | 3ª Divisione Garibaldi P.Deo | |
| 27 | IV Susa - Chisone | 10ª Divisione Autonoma Val Chisone | |
| 28 | IV Susa - Chisone | 13ª Divisione Garibaldi Pietrorame | |
| 29 | IV Susa - Chisone | 9ª Divisione Autonoma De Vitis | |
| 30 | IV Susa - Chisone | Divisione GL Campana | |
| 31 | IV Susa - Chisone | 5ª Divisione Alpina GL S.Tosa | |
| 32 | IV Susa - Chisone | Divisione GL Torino | |
| 33 | IV Susa - Chisone | Divisione Matteotti Giachino | |
| 33a | V Sangone Valley | Divisione Autonoma Valsangone | |
| 34 | VI Monferrat Langhe | 5ª Divisione Autonoma. Monferrato | |
| 35 | VI Monferrat Langhe | GMO GL | |
| 36 | VI Monferrat Langhe | Divisione Matteotti Rossi | |
| 37 | VI Monferrat Langhe | 6ª Divisione Autonoma. Alpi | |
| 38 | VI Monferrat Langhe | 9ª Divisione GL Ferreira | |
| 39 | VI Monferrat Langhe | I Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Lanfranco | |
| 40 | VI Monferrat Langhe | Divisione Matteotti Cattaneo | |
| 41 | VI Monferrat Langhe | 8ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Asti | |
| 42 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 9ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Imerito | |
| 43 | VI Monregalese Langhe | C IV Brigata Autonoma. Brà | |
| 44 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 3ª Divisione GL Langhe | |
| 45 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 11º Garibaldi Piemonte Langhe | |
| 46 | Left plain of Tanaro | 103ª Brigata Autonoma Amendola | Colonel commander Renato Gancia |
| 47 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 14ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Capriolo | |
| 48 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 2ª Divisione Autonoma. Langhe | Piero Balbo - Enrico Martini general commander |
| 49 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 1ª Divisione Autonoma. Langhe | |
| 50 | VI Monregalese Langhe | 4ª Divisione Autonoma. Alpina | |
| 51 | V West Cuneo | Divisione Matteotti Lungense | |
| 52 | V West Cuneo | 2ª Divisione Alpina GL | |
| 53 | V West Cuneo | 10ª Divisione GL | |
| 54 | V West Cuneo | 11ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Cuneo | |
| 55 | V West Cuneo | XXV ª Brigata GL Bellano | |
| 56 | V West Cuneo | XXI ª Brigata GL Paglieri | |
| 57 | V West Cuneo | 1ª Divisione Alpina GL | |
| 58 | V West Cuneo | 3 ª Divisione Autonoma. Alpi | |
| 59 | Imperia | Divisione Garibaldi Cascione | |
| 60 | Imperia | Divisione Garibaldi Bonfante | |
| 61 | II Savona | Divisione Bevilacqua | |
| 62 | II Savona | Divisione Panevino | |
| 63 | II Savona | Divisione Fumagalli | |
| 64 | VII Alessandria | 2ª Divisione Autonoma. Patria | |
| 65 | VII Alessandria | 10 ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Italia | |
| 66 | VII Alessandria | 8 ª Divisione GL. | |
| 67 | VII Alessandria | 16 ª Divisione Garibaldi Piemonte Viganò | |
| 68 | VII Alessandria | Divisione Matteotti Marengo | |
| 69 | Oltrepò Pavese | Divisione Matteotti Barni | |
| 70 | Oltrepò Pavese | 4 ª Divisione Garibaldi Lombardia Gramsci | |
| 71 | Oltrepò Pavese | 2 ª Divisione GL Masia | |
| 72 | Oltrepò Pavese | 3 ª Divisione Garibaldi Lombardia Aliotta | |
| 73 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Divisione Garibaldi Pinan Cichero | |
| 74 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Divisione Garibaldi Cichero | |
| 75 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Brigata Caio | |
| 76 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Divisione GL Matteotti | |
| 77 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Divisione Garibaldi Coduri | Eraldo Fico |
| 78 | XIII Piacenza | 1ª Divisione GL Piacenza | |
| 79 | XIII Piacenza | Divisione Garibaldi Bersani Val d'Arda | |
| 80 | XIII Piacenza | Divisione Valnure | |
| 81 | East-West Cisa Parma | Divisione Valceno | |
| 82 | East-West Cisa Parma | Divisione Valtaro | |
| 83 | East-West Cisa Parma | Divisione Garibaldi Monte Orsaro | |
| 84 | East-West Cisa Parma | Divisione Cisa | |
| 85 | East-West Cisa Parma | Divisione Garibaldi Ricci | |
| 86 | IV La Spezia | Divisione Garibaldi Picchiara | |
| 87 | IV La Spezia | Brigata Borrini | |
| 88 | IV La Spezia | Divisione Garibaldi Centocroci | |
| 89 | IV La Spezia | Brigata Muccini | |
| 90 | IV La Spezia | Brigata Giustizia e Libertà | |
| 90 | Reggio Emilia | Brigata Fiamme Verdi (RE) | |
| 91 | Reggio Emilia | 1ª Divisione Garibaldi Reggiana | |
| 92 | Modena | Divisione Modena Pianura | |
| 93 | Modena | Divisione Modena Armando | |
| 94 | Modena | Divisione Modena Montagna. | |
| 95 | Bologna | Divisione Bologna Pianura. | |
| 96 | Bologna | Divisione Bologna Montagna | |
| 97 | Forlì | Divisione Leggera Forlì | |
| 98 | Ravenna | Divisione Leggera Ravenna | |
| 99 | Ferrara | Brigata Ferrara | |
| 100 | Rovigo | Brigata Tasso | |
| 101 | Rovigo | Brigata Bonato | |
| 102 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Verona" | Commander "Redi" (Renato Tisato) |
| 103 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Anita" | Commander "Gallo" (Cesare Albertini) |
| 104 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Stella Rossa" | Commander "Spartaco" (Armando Plazzi) |
| 105 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Adige" | Commander "Romeo" (Di Lorenzo Francesco) |
| 106 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Scaligera" | Commander "Cambrone" (Giovanni Ballarotto) |
| 107 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Italia" | Commander "Enzo" (Fiorenzo Olivieri) |
| 108 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Stella Pianura" | Commander "Siva" (Marcello Perazzolo) |
| 109 | Plain of Verona | Brigata "Carlo Montanari" | Commander "Ettore" (Enzo Falcetta) |
| 110 | Vicenza | Brigata Vicenza | Giacomo Prandina |
| 111 | Padua | Brigata Damiano Chiesa | Vito Olivetti |
| 112 | Padua | Brigata Silvio Trentin | |
| 113 | Padua | Brigata Garibaldi (PD) | |
| 114 | Padua | Brigata Lubian GL | |
| 115 | Padua | Brigata Negri | |
| 116 | Padua | Brigata Pierobon | |
| 117 | Padua | Brigata Rutoli | |
| 118 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Ruspo | |
| 119 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Pellegrini | Antonio Pellegirini "Carlo" |
| 120 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Piave (VE) | |
| 121 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Erminio Ferretto | |
| 122 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Iberati | |
| 123 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Gramsci (VE) | |
| 124 | Venezia Mestre | Brigata Conti | |
| 125 | Friuli | 5ª Divisione Garibaldi Osoppo Friuli | |
| 126 | Friuli | Divisione Carnia | |
| 127 | Friuli | Divisione Sinistra Tagliamento | |
| 128 | Friuli | Divisione Destra Tagliamento | |
| 129 | Friuli | Divisione Sud Arzino | |
| 130 | Friuli | Brigata Rosselli (Friuli). | |
| 131 | Friuli | Brigata Picelli | |
| 132 | Friuli | 3ª Divisione Garibaldi Osoppo Friuli | |
| 133 | Friuli | 1ª Divisione Garibaldi Osoppo Friuli | |
| 134 | Friuli | Divisione Udine | |
| 135 | Friuli | 2ª Divisione Garibaldi Osoppo Friuli | |
| 136 | Friuli | 4ª Divisione Garibaldi Osoppo Friuli | |
| 137 | Treviso | Brigata Bortolato. | |
| 138 | Treviso | Brigata Tito Speri | |
| 139 | Treviso | Brigata Furlan | Antonio Furlan |
| 140 | Treviso | Brigata Orerto | |
| 141 | Padua - Treviso | Divisione Garibaldi Sabatucci | |
| 142 | Treviso | Brigata Zancanaro | |
| 143 | Treviso | Brigata Badini | |
| 144 | Treviso | Brigata Treviso | |
| 145 | Piave (Belluno) | Brigata 7º Alpini. | |
| 146 | Piave (Belluno) | Brigata Val Cordevole | |
| 147 | Piave (Belluno) | Divisione Garibaldi Belluno | |
| 148 | Piave (Belluno) | Brigata Fulmine | |
| 149 | Piave (Belluno) | Divisione Garibaldi N. Nannetti | Francesco Pesce |
| 150 | Piave (Belluno) | Brigata Piave | |
| 151 | Monte Grappa | Divisione Monte Grappa | |
| 152 | Mount Ortigara (Asiago plateau) | Divisione Monte Ortigara | Commander Giacomo Chilesotti |
| 153 | Bolzano | Divisione Val dell'Adige | |
| 154 | Trento | Divisione Garibaldi "Ateo Garemi" | Commander "Alberto" (Nello Boscagli) |
| 155 | Verona (Lessini) | Brigata "Luciano Manara" | Commander "Paolo" (Luciano Dal Cero) |
| 156 | Verona (Lessini) | Brigata "Pierobon" | Commander "Elvio" (Bortolo Antonio Deganello) |
| 157 | Verona (Lessini) | Brigata "Avesani" | Commander "Gianni" (Gianpietro Marini) |
| 158 | Sondrio | 1ª Divisione Alpina GL Valtellina. | Commander "Camillo" (Giuseppe Motta) |
| 159 | Brescia | L 4ª Brigata Garibaldi Belotti | |
| 160 | Brescia | Divisione Fiamme Verdi Tito Speri | |
| 161 | Brescia | Brigata GL Monte Suello | |
| 162 | Brescia | 7ª Brigata Matteotti | |
| 163 | Brescia | C 22ª Brigata Garibaldi (BS) | |
| 164 | Brescia | Divisione Fiamme Verdi Lunardi | |
| 165 | Brescia | Brigata GL Barnaba | |
| 166 | Brescia | Gruppo Brigata Apolitiche - III settore. | |
| 167 | Brescia | Formazione Chiari - V settore. | |
| 168 | Bergamo | Divisione Garibaldi (BG) | |
| 169 | Bergamo | Divisione GL Orobica | |
| 170 | Bergamo | Divisione Fiamme Verdi (BG) | |
| 171 | Como Lecco | 1ª Divisione Garibaldi Lombardia. | |
| 172 | Como Lecco | 2ª Divisione Garibaldi Lombardia | |
| 173 | Como Lecco | 16ª Divisione GL | |
| 174 | Como Lecco | Divisione Puecher | |
| 175 | Como Lecco | Brigata Piazza (Como) | |
| 176 | Como Lecco | Brigata Benetta | |
| 177 | Como Lecco | C 4ª Brigata Citterio | |
| 178 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Divisione Garibaldi Mingo | |

## Other partisan formations

The following are the Divisional and Brigade commands of partisan formations which operated during the Resistance and had not been classified by Battaglia.
| No. | Operative areas | Formations | Notes |
| 1 | VI Zone (between Alessandria and Genoa) | Battaglioni Matteotti Valbisagno | |
| 2 | Como- Lecco | 55ª Brigata F.lli Rosselli | See No. 172 of the previous table |
| 3 | Umbria | Brigata Garibaldi "Antonio Gramsci" | |
| 4 | Rome | Bandiera Rossa | |
| 5 | Marzabotto | Brigata Partigiana Stella Rossa | |
| 6 | Venice | Brigata partigiana Martiri di Mirano | |
| 7 | Massa | Battaglione Lucetti | |
| 8 | Friuli | Brigata Osoppo | See No. 125,132,133,135,136 of the previous table |
| 9 | Apuan Alps | Divisione partigiana Lunense | |
| 10 | Ravenna (plain) | 28ª Brigata Garibaldi "Mario Gordini" | Arrigo Boldrini |
| 11 | Umbria | Brigata Risorgimento | |
| 12 | Pistoia | XI Zona Patrioti | |
| 13 | Tigullio | Divisione "Coduri" | Eraldo Fico |
| 14 | ... | Gruppo Patrioti della Maiella (Brigata Maiella) | Ettore Troilo |
| 15 | Romagna | 8ª Brigata Garibaldi Romagna | |
| 16 | VI Zone (La Spezia) | Battaglione Val di Vara (Brigata Giustizia e Libertà) | Commander Daniele "Dany" Bucchioni |
| 17 | Trentino (Tesino and Valsugana) | Battaglione Gherlenda (Brigata Gramsci) | Commander Isidoro Giacomin "Fumo" |

### Notes about other formations

The Brigate Osoppo were coordinated for a period of 1944 by unified military command of division together with the Brigate Garibaldi while having the organizational autonomy. An example of this was during the government of the partisan Free Republic of Carnia.

## Partisan formations abroad

Partisan formations abroad were significant and were formed by militars of former divisions of the Royal Italian Army located outside the current national borders at 8 September 1943, in the Balkans. Soldiers decided voluntarily to reorganize themselves in order to avoid the imprisonment by Nazis and to collaborate with local groups. Among the formations, there were:
| No. | Operative area | Formation |
| 1 | Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Divisione Italia |
| 2 | Italian occupation of Montenegro | Divisione italiana partigiana Garibaldi (Montenegro) |
| 3 | Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Italia Brigade |
| 4 | Italian protectorate of Albania | Antonio Gramsci Battalion |