Week 29
The "Years of Lead" (anni di piombo) in Italy (roughly 1969–1984) was a period of intense social, political, and terroristic violence characterized by frequent bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. Extremists from both the far-left (e.g., Red Brigades) and far-right (e.g., NAR) perpetrated roughly 14,000 violent attacks, deeply scarred the nation, and claimed hundreds of lives. The era featured armed struggles between violent far-left militant groups (Red Brigades, Front Line) and far-right neo-fascist organizations (NAR, New Order). Notable events included the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing, the 1978 kidnapping/murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro, and the 1980 Bologna train station bombing. The violence caused widespread fear, instability, and a major decline in trust towards public institutions, often termed "strategy of tension". The period is generally considered to have ended by the mid-1980s following massive state crackdown, mass arrests, and decreasing public support for armed violence. Anni di piombo is commonly translated to "years of lead," referring to the large volume of bullets fired during the period. Armed police were everywhere. The Carabinieri were posted at churches and public buildings carrying heavy machine guns. There was the constant presence of armed danger and potential explosions. The decline of violence in Italy from 1980 to 1990 paralleled international events in which repeated meetings between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev led to the historic disarmament agreement of 1989.
