Making use of the literature on national reconciliation and narrative psychology theory, this book examines the fight over the 'judicial' and the 'historical' truth in Italy today, through a contrasting analysis of judicial findings and the 'narratives of victimhood' prevalent among representatives of both the post- and the neo-fascist right.

List of Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction PART I: VILLAINS? THE JUDICIAL TRUTH Introduction to Part I Chapter 2. The Role of Italian Neofascism in Stragismo and the Strategy of Tension Chapter 3. The Role of the Armed Forces and Intelligence Structures Chapter 4. Interpretations of the Strategy of Tension in Accordance with Judicial Findings Conclusion to Part I PART II: VICTIMS? THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO THE NEO- AND POSTFASCIST RIGHT Introduction to Part II Chapter 5. Narratives of Victimhood: The Right's Reconstructions and Interpretations of Stragismo Chapter 6. The Self-narratives of Extreme-right Protagonists of the Political Conflict Conclusion to Part II Chapter 7. Conclusion Bibliography Index

“Anna Cento Bull’s scrupulously researched book casts a revealing laser beam of scholarly light (especially for monolingual Anglophone scholars concerned with modern extremism or Italian politics) on a permutation of right-wing extremism intent on remaining much more faithful to the original revolutionary matrix.” • Patterns of Prejudice “…a solid contribution to studying postwar European politics, examining the problems and failures of reconciliation as well as providing an insightful look at the neofascist’s Strategy of Tension.” • Terrorism and Political Violence “The conclusion [that national reconciliation remains a distant target] leaves a bitter taste for the Italian reader, but it is the logical outcome of a rigorous and well documented analysis that has offered new insight into the troublesome question of Italian national identity.” • South European Society and Politics