The Kingdom of Italy is a shadow of the past. Benito Mussolini's 1922 coup, and the following fascist regime, failed to bring about the grand revitalisation of Roman glory that he promised. Instead, Italy fought in the greatest conflict in human history, inspired the horrors of Hitler's national socialists, and gained little to tell of it except for "fascist" becoming an insult across the globe, more reminiscent of Hitler's massacres than of Rome. His resignation in 1948 was met with joy by some, sorrow by others, but the rise of La Ducessa Edda Mussolini was most unexpected by everyone. A self-proclaimed reformer, Edda has taken a more moderate stance on governance and ideology, much like her peer Francisco Franco. The weakening of Italian repression has given way to the rise of republicanism and communism as potent political forces. Regardless of instability at home, Italy's successful industrialisation by not over-committing to World War II has allowed them to invest almost everywhere in the planet; the Lira manages oil wells in Kuwait, mines in Mittelafrika, shadow funds from Moscow, and even the Italian Mafia, leashed by the Mussolini dynasty into their partners-by-force.
While the Kingdom of Italy has chosen to remain neutral in the Cold War, it has not remained on the sidelines of its conflicts. Dozens of state-approved Condottieri companies offer their services abroad as logistics enablers, pilots, instructors and even as fighters. Western authors consider these a new generation of capitalist mercenaries; the first private military companies (PMCs).