MVSN Colonial Militia were colonial military units of the Italian Fascist MVSN organization (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale; "Volunteering Militia for the National Security") based in the Italian African colonial possessions of Italian North Africa (comprising Cyrenaica and Tripolitania), and in Italian East Africa (comprising Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland). These units consisted of seven Legions of militia recruited initially from Italian colonists, but later included local Africans.
- First Legion - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Second Legion - Asmara, Eritrea
- Third Legion - Gondar, Ethiopia
- Fourth Legion - Massawa, Eritrea
- Fifth Legion - Mogadishu, Somaliland
- Sixth Legion - Jimma, Ethiopia
- Seventh Legion - Dessie, Ethiopia
Units from Italian East Africa were formed into the Africa Division which was a light infantry division and was later destroyed in combat.
All legions were destroyed during the North African and East African campaigns during World War II.
Famous quotes containing the word colonial:
“Are you there, Africa with the bulging chest and oblong thigh? Sulking Africa, wrought of iron, in the fire, Africa of the millions of royal slaves, deported Africa, drifting continent, are you there? Slowly you vanish, you withdraw into the past, into the tales of castaways, colonial museums, the works of scholars.”
—Jean Genet (1910–1986)