Operation Gladio

The NATO stay-behind networks prepared against a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe

Overview

Operation Gladio denotes the secret stay-behind networks armed across Western Europe after World War II to mount resistance behind any Soviet invasion. Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti disclosed the Italian branch to parliament in 1990, prompting a European Parliament resolution and investigations in several countries. Parliamentary inquiries documented the core mission of preparing for occupation, while allegations that some networks were misused during the years of domestic tension remain debated by historians. The affair is a landmark in democratic control of secret armies.