English: The Corpo Ausiliario delle Squadre d'azione di Camicie Nere (Auxiliary Corps of the Black Shirts' - Action Squads), most widely known as the Black Brigades (Brigate Nere), was one of the Fascist paramilitary groups, organized and run by the Republican Fascist Party (Partito Fascista Repubblicano, PFR) operating in the Italian Social Republic (in northern Italy), during the final years of World War II, and after the signing of the Italian Armistice in 1943. They were officially led by Alessandro Pavolini, former Minister of Culture (MINCULPOP) of the fascist era during the last years of the Kingdom of Italy.