Entry, discipline and exit in the Italian Red Brigades

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Abstract
The article looks at Red Brigades (BR) recruitment in the early 1970s via the infiltration and ‘lubrication’ of far left groups based in the factories of Northern Italy. The author describes the passage from extremism to terrorism and the criteria imposed by the BR for entry. Initial imitation of the Latin American guerrilla model was gradually replaced by a series of organizational and disciplinary structures based on first‐hand experience. The strict regulations laid down by the BR were generally adhered to and were a vital factor for survival, although the weakest link was in personal relations. The restrictions of clandestinity created personal and political crises which deepened after 1978, when the battle between state and terrorists intensified. The greater commitment required of members made dissent and exit correspondingly more traumatic. In the end, attempts to preserve unity by increasing discipline proved to be counterproductive.

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