10 Outlandish Conspiracies That Were Actually True

2. Masonic Lodge Secretly Control Italy

Now that we're all sufficiently jaded by the last hundred or so years of the American government's history and secret services, let's take a breather by casting an eye over to Italy, where the Illuminati actually exist.

A mysterious cabal of high-powered individuals secretly guiding every political, cultural and military event is a favourite of conspiracy theorists. One of the most pervasive Illuminati-flavoured conspiracies is that Masonic secret societies like Harvard's Skull and Bones club recruit the future secret rulers of the world; in Italy that is 100% true. Or at least it was up until about 1981, when the group was revealed and finally dismantled.

Propaganda Due was the name of the group, and it included prominent journalists, members of parliament, industrialists, and military leaders. Initially operating semi-legitimately (but secretly) under the Italian government, they carried on regardless of their charter being withdrawn in 1976. This "shadow government" were the real people behind everything in Italian politics and society for forty years, and in that time they had plenty of opportunities to get their hands dirty.

Propaganda Due has been implicated in the collapse of the Vatican bank in 1982, the murders of dozens of civilians, and nationwide cases of corruption. They also installed Silvio Berlusconi as prime minister, Vittorio Emanuele to the throne of Prince of Naples, and the heads of all three Italian intelligence agencies. Make no mistake: Propaganda Due were in control of all facets of the Italy, and essentially ran the country, with many members of government and the public at large being none the wiser. Which, considering some of the stuff they got up to, is totally horrifying.