Britain, Italy and the early Cold War : aspects of British foreign policy towards Italy, 1946-1949
This thesis examines political and military aspects of British policy towards Italy during 1946-1949. It focuses on five major areas: the punishment of Italian war criminality, the reconstruction of the Italian Armed forces, the role of Italy in British plans for European cooperation, British involvement in the Italian election of April 1948 and Italy's inclusion into NATO. It analyses the factors that influenced the evolution of British policy such as pressures from the emerging Cold War, Britain's diminished power in the region and its desire to remain a major international player in the post WWII world. It evaluates the impact that Italian domestic politics and Italian realities had on the conception and execution of British policy. It reveals that British policy towards Italy was governed not only by British power politics, the desire to frustrate the designs of the Soviet Union and the Italian Communists, and the challenge of growing US influence in Italy but also by moral and ideological underpinnings such as the desire to secure the punishment of some of the worst Italian war criminals and the aspiration, as manifested by British intervention in the Italian election of 1948, to provide Italy with a
Pedaliu, Effie G. H.
History
Britain, Italy and the early Cold War : aspects of British foreign policy towards Italy, 1946-1949. This thesis examines political and military aspects of British policy towards Italy during 1946-1949. It focuses on five major areas: the punishment of Italian war criminality, the reconstruction of the Italian Armed forces, the role of Italy in British plans for European cooperation, British involvement in the Italian election of April 1948 and Italy's inclusion into NATO. It analyses the factors that influenced the evolution of British policy such as pressures from the emerging Cold War, Britain's diminished power in the region and its desire to remain a major international player in the post WWII world. It evaluates the impact that Italian domestic politics and Italian realities had on the conception and execution of British policy. It reveals that British policy towards Italy was governed not only by British power politics, the desire to frustrate the designs of the Soviet Union and the Italian Communists, and the challenge of growing US influence in Italy but also by moral and ideological underpinnings such as the desire to secure the punishment of some of the worst Italian war criminals and the aspiration, as manifested by British intervention in the Italian election of 1948, to provide Italy with a
britain italy early_cold_war aspect british_foreign policy_towards italy examines political_military aspect british_policy_towards italy focus major_area punishment italian war criminality reconstruction italian armed force role italy british plan european cooperation british involvement italian election italy inclusion nato analyse factor_influence evolution british_policy pressure emerge cold_war britain diminish power region desire remain major international player post wwii world evaluates impact italian domestic_politics italian reality conception execution british_policy reveals british_policy_towards italy govern british power politics desire frustrate design soviet_union italian communists challenge grow influence italy also moral ideological underpinnings desire secure punishment bad italian war criminal aspiration manifest british intervention italian election provide italy