The Milizia Coloniale was an all-volunteer colonial militia composed of members of the Fascist Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale ("Volunteer Militia for National Security") or MVSN, commonly called the "Blackshirts". It is considered unique in modern Italian military history, with its reputation matched only by the pre-unification paramilitary forces Redshirts.
The Milizia Coloniale was formed by Benito Mussolini in 1923. Its organization was based on the "action squads" he introduced in 1919 to counter communists and quash his enemies within the National Fascist Party. For instance, there are Special Blackshirt units tasked with coastal defense.