The 11th Carabinieri Mechanized Brigade () was the Carabinieri formation, established in 1963 and disestablished in 2001, dedicated to the performance of military duties, the support to Territorial Organization, the participation in civil protection operations and to ensure the emergency reserve for the General Command.
Background
Carabinieri units devoted to the riot control and to tactical tasks experienced several organizational phases, from late 1910s to the present day. While from 1919 until 1963 Carabinieri riot units were under the exclusive control of Carabinieri Legions (inter-provincial commands), since 1963 they have been under an unified command: from 1963 to 2000 the Command was set at the Brigade level, while the present-day Division was established in 2001.
1919-1923
The history of the branch of the Carabinieri specifically dedicated to quell massive civil disturbances dates back in 1919, when 18 Carabinieri Autonomous Mobile Battalions (Battaglioni Mobili Autonomi) were established in order to deal with the Biennio Rosso.
Before 1919, the operational approach to riot control consisted in drawing Carabinieri from the territorial stations near the event, replacing them with Carabinieri drawn in turn from other Stations; since 1908 several proposes had been made by Carabinieri officers to form organic Carabinieri units in order to not to steal Carabinieri from the territorial police service and to improve the harmony within the ranks of Carabinieri assigned to public order services;pp. 271–273 the proposal was suspended due to the outbreak of the World War I.p. 14
At the end of the World War I, the Royal Italian Army was reduced and both the Royal Carabinieri and the Royal Guard of Public Security were augmented.p. 268 Following the end of the War, participants to rallies increased in numbers and Army units deployed in internal order services significantly decreased. The Arm of Carabinieri, in order to sustain the increasingly heavy duty, established for the first time outside war several Army-style Battalions.pp. 269–270
On 7 December 1918, the Carabinieri General Command elaborated a proposal for War Minister Alberico Albricci, assuming the establishment of 15p. 282 to 16p. 16 Mobile Battalions under the relevant Carabinieri Legion. The total strength of the Mobile Battalions was envisioned in 5,000 Carabinieri. According to the proposal, each Battalion should have had 5 trucks with attached drivers and mechanics, two motorcycles for commanders of the detachments and a light car for the commanding Colonel.pp. 280–282 Under the 1918 proposal, Legions with two Mobile Battalions assigned were to be led by a Brigadier General, with two Colonels, one of which assigned to the task of commanding the Battalioni Group.p. 16
On 13 March 1919, the War Ministry ordered the provisional establishment of 16 Carabinieir Mobile Battalions, whose organization was to be dealt with by the General Command.p. 16 On 30 March 1919, Commandant General Luigi Cauvin issued executive orders of the establishment of the Mobile Battalions of the Royal Carabinieri. According to Article 3 of the executive orders, the Carabinieri Mobile Battalion was organized into:p. 17 3 Infantry Companies, (4 Platoons each); 1 Cyclists Companies (2 Platoons). Each Mobile Battalion was to be led by a Lieutenant Colonel (Mobile Battalions of Alessandria, Genoa, Verona, Trieste, Treviso, Bologna, Ancona, Cagliari, Bari, two of the three Battalions of Rome, one of the two Battalions of Turin, Milan, Naples, Florence and Palermo)p. 19 or by a Major (Mobile Battalions of Udine, Taranto, Catania, one Mobile Battalion in Rome, Turin, Milan, Florence, Naples and Palermo),p. 19 assisted by an Aide ranking Lieutenant, each Company was to be led by a captain, while Platoons could be led by a Lieutenant, a Second Lieutenant or by a senior Sub-Officer.p. 17 The strength of each Mobile Battalions was to be 782 officers and troops. According to Article 7, Carabinieri of the Mobile Battalions were to be deployed in organic units (Platoon, Company, or the whole Battalion) always under their own subofficers and officers. The training was specifically designed for public order and riot control services.pp. 284–286 One quarter of the strength of each battalion was to be assigned to the territorial support of the relevant Legion.p. 17 Battalions were to be housed in separate barracks, from other Royal Carabinieri and, in case of more than one Battalion assigned to the same city, on the opposite side of the urban centre; at least one officer had to be housed in the barracks.p. 18