Abstract

This article deals with the italian military committees prior to the Republican constitution: Commissione permanente per la difesa generale dello Stato (1862-1870), Commissione suprema mista per la difesa dello Stato (1899-1915), Comitato supremo per i rifornimenti di armi e munizioni (1915-1917), Commissione suprema di difesa (1923-1944) e Comitato di difesa (1945-1947). With a particular focus on the distribution of military powers between different subjects - the Crown, the Government, the Armed Forces - the essay analyses the inner organization of each Committee, the functions and the juridical nature with the purpose of specifying its ability to influence national security policy and its consequent position in the constitutional system.