This course has been designed to analyze the political history of Italy from the establishment of the Italian Republic (1946) to the ongoing crisis of the so-called Second Italian Republic (2011-2018). Special attention will be devoted to:
- the postwar settlement (1946-1948), including institutional referendum, Treaty of Peace, Constituent Assembly and Constitution, elections for the first Italian Parliament and Italy’s Western choice in the context of the outbreak of the Cold War;
- the “Economic Miracle” and the country’s socio-cultural transformation (1948-1968);
- the “Anni di Piombo” (1968-1978), including Hot Autumn, economic crisis, black and red terrorism, Historic Compromise and Governments of National Solidarity in the context of the Great Détente;
- the “Second Economic Miracle” and its contradictions (1978-1989);
- the transition from the First to the Second Italian Republic (1989-1994), including rise of the Northern League, Bribesville and Mafia offensive in the context of the end of the Cold War;
- the Second Italian Republic between the “Center-Right” and the “Center-Left” (1994-2011);
- the possible transition to a Third Republic in the context of the Italian and European crises (2011-2018).
The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge and understanding of contemporary Italian history. On completion of the course, students will have acquired the instruments for grasping, interpreting and discussing critically the most important events of 70 years of Italian history and the dynamics behind them: the basic trends of continuity and change, causes and effects, the interplay of regional, national and international influences, and the significance of global events within Italy