Carabinieri The Carabinieri ( formally " Arma dei carabinieri " , " Arm of carabineers " or previously " Corps of carabinier s " ; ) is the national military police of Italy , policing both military and civilian populations . It was originally founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia . During the process of Italian unification , it was appointed the " First Force " of the new national military organization . Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of Benito Mussolini , they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded by Nazi Germany , which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the Italian resistance movement . Since 2001 , it has been one of the four Italian Armed Forces . Early history . The corps was created by King Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy with the aim of providing the Kingdom of Sardinia with a police corps . Previously , police duties were managed by the " Dragoni di Sardegna corps , " created in 1726 and composed of volunteers . After French soldiers had occupied Turin at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to the Kingdom of Piedmont , the corps of Royal Carabinieri was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814 . The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province . The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies , which commanded and coordinated the local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public . In 1868 , the " Corazzieri " mounted division was formed – initially as an escort of honour for the sovereign , and since 1946 for the President of the Republic . The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased , and on 24 January 1861 the " Carabinieri " were appointed the " First Force " of the new national military organization . In May 1915 Italian troops marched to encompass South Tyrol , territory of their former allies the Austro - Hungarian empire , in the Fronte italiano campaign . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there , and in the Carso theatre to the east , and the Italian regiments , under overall command of General Cadorna , found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting . The role of the Carabinieri was to set up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion . 1930s and 1940s . During the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini ( 1922 – 1943 ) , the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy . During the same period , while part of the Italian Africa Police ( mainly in the late 1930s ) , they were involved in atrocities in colonial Italian East Africa during the Second Italo - Abyssinian War . During World War II they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces , and against Yugoslav partisans as part of the Italian occupation force in Yugoslavia . After Benito Mussolini ' s fall on 25 July 1943 , he was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the king ' s private residence in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on Campo Imperatore by Carabinieri forces . After the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 3 September 1943 and the country ' s split into the fascist Italian Social Republic in the north and the Kingdom of Italy in the south , the Carabinieri split into two groups . In southern Italy the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari , mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation . These units were attached to the Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the Italian Co - Belligerent Army , fighting with the Allied forces . In northern Italy the fascist regime organized the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana ( composed of Carabinieri , former colonial policemen , Guardia di Finanza customs police and other odds and ends ) , to employ it as a military police and rapid - deployment anti - guerilla force . Chronically understrength , underequipped and plagued by desertions , GNR was later joined ( but not taken over ) by the Black Brigades which should have represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party . Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini , and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the Granatieri di Sardegna regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion , the Germans did not view the Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause and ordered the disbanding of all Carabinieri units in Axis - controlled territory on 7 October 1943 . As German forces subsequently began to arrest and deport members of the Carabinieri to Germany for forced labour , large numbers of Carabinieri joined the Italian resistance movement . After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2 , 735 fallen and 6 , 500 wounded , out of approximately 14 , 000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy . In Yugoslavia the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian partisan Garibaldi Division , which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against German and Croatian Ustaše Forces . The battalion lost over 80 % of its members in combat and was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor to commemorate the fallen . Present day . The Carabinieri increased in status and joined the Armed Forces on 31 March 2000 . They are today particularly proud of the memory of Vice Brigadiere Salvo D ' Acquisto , who was executed by the Germans in Palidoro ( near Rome ) during World War II . D ' Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier ; instead , he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence . In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on peacekeeping missions , including Kosovo , Afghanistan , and Iraq . In 2003 twelve Carabinieri were killed in a suicide bombing on their base in Nasiriyah , near Basra in southern Iraq , in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the Second World War . At the Sea Island Conference of the G8 in 2004 , Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions . Organization . The corps is headed by the ' , consisting of the " Comandante Generale " ( a General ) , the ' ( a Lieutenant General ) and the Chief of Staff , all located in Rome . The Chief of Staff directs , coordinates and supervises all activities of the force . It directly supervises the Directors of Administration , Health , Engineering , the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission . On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection , the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office . The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law - enforcement missions . The territorial organization represents the core of the institution ; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter - regional , 19 regional and 102 provincial commands . Outside the territorial organisation , the Specialist Mobile Unit Command " Palidoro " ( based in Rome ) controls the Mobile Unit Division , the Specialist Unit Division and the ROS . The Mobile Unit Division . The Mobile Unit Division is located in Treviso and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies , defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad . It supports public order and territorial control in urban areas , and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety . ROS . The ROS ( " Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale " or Special Operational Group ) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with organised crime ( Mafia and others ) , subversive activities , terrorism and more complex types of crime . An anti - crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor ' s office . Special Tasks Departments . Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions : " Corazzieri " ( Cuirassiers ) are an elite corps and honour guard of the President of the Italian Republic , located in the Quirinal Palace . They are distinguished by their uniforms and height ( the minimum height for admission is ) . They have almost no other everyday duties , although they may be seen patrolling occasionally . Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as the Presidency of the Republic , the Senate , Parliament , the Judiciary , the Prime Minister and the National Council of Economy and Labour . Carabinieri also perform military police and security duties for the Ministry of Defence , military high commands , the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad . They also have personnel attached to the Department of Public Security in various departments , as well as anti - Mafia and anti - drug investigative task forces . " Carabinieri " officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad , performing the same services entrusted to the United States Marine Corps in US diplomatic and consular offices . Together with the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza , the Carabinieri is also responsible for border control . War service . The main battles in which the Carabinieri took part before World War I are : For its contributions during the First World War , the Corps was awarded its first Gold Medal of Military Valor In World War II , Carabinieri distinguished themselves in the following battles : From 1943 to 1945 , the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the Allied Military Government ( AMGOT ) . Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel Arthur Young , a British police officer seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security . Uniforms . The Carabineri were issued a distinctive uniform in dark blue with silver braid around the collar and cuffs , edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver . The mounted division had white fringes , and the infantry had light blue . Their headgear was a distinctive hat with two points , popularly called the " lucerna " . They still use a version of the historic uniform today for ceremonies . The full set of different Carabinieri uniforms today is presented here ( in Italian ) . Decorations . The State Color of the Carabineri bears the following decorations : Weapons . In response to the many and diverse needs of the Carabinieri , the service provides for the use of various types of weapons that are divided into " ordinary " and " special " weapons and supplied to all staff as follows : Special weapons . Used only by certain departments and under certain circumstances : Vehicles and equipment . Until very recently the Italian police ( including the " Carabinieri " ) operated only Italian - made vehicles , but that changed with the introduction of Land Rover Defender s and Subaru s into service . Normal " Carabinieri " patrol vehicles are dark blue with a white roof , with a red stripe along the side . Carabinieri license plates begin with " CC " or previously with " EI " ( formerly Esercito Italiano , Italian Army ) , and a Carabinieri car is traditionally called a " Gazzella " ( gazelle ) . Small or medium - sized cars are used for ordinary patrol work , with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response , highway patrol , and special services . The vehicles of the " Carabinieri " military police and mobile units are painted in NATO camouflage scheme as done with the other Italian Army vehicles .