Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Gladio (United Kingdom)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 427
Country: United Kingdom
Date formed: Jan. 1, 1949
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: Gladio was established after World War II by Western intelligence agencies.
Date dissolved: Dec. 31, 1990
    Accuracy of date dissolved: year
Details of Termination: A source suggests that the group was terminated late 1990.
Termination Type(s): none

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? no
    Former Armed Group? no information
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: unclear (type 1 or 2)
Created by the Government?: yes
    Main Creating Government Institution: person/minister
Government Link(s): state (institution)
    If link to party, name of party: None
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: yes
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; Foreign government
State Sponsor(s): United States
Other Connection(s): NATO

Group Characteristics

Membership: security forces
Primary Membership: no information
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: None
Force Strength: [unknown, unknown]
Target(s): foreign military
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious institutions; protect national borders and integrity; self-defense and security

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information: There was a joint operation with Belgium in 1990. The network of groups may have some semi-official status within the intelligence community. But this status is not recognized but instead hidden even from some domestic governments and prime ministers. The groups were ultimately answerable to NATO-CIA rather than domestic governments in event of attack by Warsaw Pact.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The stay-behind paramilitary group was intended as a fighting force to counter a possible Warsaw Pact invasion. It was meant to conduct guerilla warfare and sabotage activities. The PGM in Britain also trained other groups in the European Gladio network.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use faster mobilization; deniability of violence

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians:
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: unknown

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership:
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size:

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The group trained with the US Green Berets and the British Special Air Services (SAS) and was equipped from underground arms caches.

Organisation

Organisation: The PGM was coordinated by NATO and run by the military secret services in close cooperation with the CIA and British Secret Intelligence Service.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.

Wikipedia. “Operation Gladio.” https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Gladio&oldid=835600108

Evidence