Overview
Operation Gladio was a secret network of "stay-behind" armies organized by NATO and Western intelligence agencies. Their official purpose was to resist a potential Soviet invasion of Western Europe.
The Strategy of Tension
During the "Years of Lead" in Italy, the network was accused of collaborating with far-right groups to carry out bombings (such as the Piazza Fontana bombing) and blame them on far-left groups to manipulate public opinion and maintain political status quo.