Italy And The European Powers

A wide-ranging collection of essays, examining the effects of the central phase of the Italian Wars on the politics, culture and society of Italy, on military organization and the conduct of war, and on the image and reputation of Italy and the Italians.

Exploring more than 500 years of the country's history, Italy provides readers interested in modern Italy or European history with a greater understanding of Italy's past, from the Renaissance to the present. This guide presents the milestones in Italy's history in an interesting and readable way.

Brings together 11 of the author's fundamental essays on the social history of the late Roman and early medieval period in Italy and, more generally, in Europe. The first section, The Roman Empire and After, focuses on the state and the economy of late Antiquity and what happened to them in the political crisis of the western empire in the fifth century. Part 2, Theorizing early medieval Europe, concentrates on the economy of the early medieval west, as seen through comparative surveys of pastoralism, the use of woodland and the relationships between peasants and lords. The last part, Italian society from the Carolingians to the communes contains analyses of medieval Italy that are of comparative interest.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union, grade: 1,0, University of Pavia, language: English, abstract: In 2007, the European Union celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, and thus its official hour of birth after many years of intensive negotiations, which had lasted from 1945 till 1957. From the very beginning on, Italy “had been amongst the keenest supporters of the European integration, both at the popular and the government levels” (Comelli 2011: 2) and had played an important role within all early proceedings. Especially under the political leadership of Alcide de Gasperi, Italy became one of the most influential negotiators and until today, the country is considered a triumphant founding nation of the European Union (Di Nolfo 1980: 145). This widespread pro-European attitude, however, has declined dramatically during the last decades. This negative relationship between Italy and the European Union, however, might be recovering from now on. Matteo Renzi, who got elected the new Italian prime minister in February this year, seems willing to contribute decisive activities to move the Italian population again closer to Europe. As a first important step, Renzi used his government declaration to underline the his-torical significance of the European Union and the urgent necessity for Italy to restart European cooperation (N24.de 2014). Referring to his prominent political precursor, Alcide de Gasperi, the Italian prime minister promised to close the gap between Italy and Europe again. Picking up this recent look back to the founding period of the European Union by the Italian prime minister, this paper focuses on exactly that time and analyses Italy’s contribution during the early European integration. Political scientists and historians often divide this process in three main parts: the after-war period between 1945 and 1949, the beginning of multilateral negotiations from 1949 till 1954, and finally the most important time for the European unification ending with the ratification of the Treaties of Rome in 1957 (Di Nolfo 1980: 148). In the subsequent analysis, I will follow this structure and thereby concentrate on the most decisive events that took place within the different periods - first and foremost the Brussels and Atlantic Pact (1948), the Schuman Declaration (1950), the European Defence Community (1952), the Spaak Committee (1955), and the Treaties of Rome (1957).

This book aims to provide an overview of Italian foreign policy from the moment of unification to the establishment of the European Union. Three turning points are crucial in order to clarify Italy’s foreign policy: 1861, the proclamation of the Italian Kingdom; 1943, when Italy surrendered in World War II; 1992, the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. The international position of Italy continues to be an enigma for many observers and this fuels misinterpretations and prejudices. This book argues that Italy is different but not divergent from other European countries. Italian elites have traditionally seen foreign policy as an instrument to secure the state and import models for development. Italy can still contribute to international security and the strengthening of the EU. At the same time, Italy is not a pure adaptive country and has always maintained a critical attitude towards the international system in which it is incorporated.

The beginnings of the state in Europe is a central topic of contemporary historical research. The making of such early modern Italian regional states as Florence, the kingdom of Naples, Milan, and Venice exemplifies a decisive turn in the state tradition of Western Europe. The Origins of the State in Italy, 1300-1600 represents the best in American, British, and Italian scholarship and offers a valuable and critical overview of the key problems of the emergence of the state in Europe. Some of the topics covered include the political legitimacy of the aborning regional states, the changing legal culture, the conflict between church and state, the forces shaping public finances, and the creation of the Italian League. The eight essays in this collection originally appeared in the Journal of Modern History. Contributors include Roberto Bizzocchi, Giorgio Chittolini, Trevor Dean, Riccardo Fubini, Elena Fasano Guarini, Aldo Mazzacane, Anthony Molho, and Pierangelo Schiera. This volume will appeal to historians, historical sociologists, and historians of political thought.

By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise and insightful history of the 'Great War', focusing on why it happened, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did. It examines the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition and crisis; the role of the US; the collapse of Russia; and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers. Looking at the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war, Michael Howard also describes how peace was ultimately made, and the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.