Freer when constrained? Italy and transatlantic relations during the cold war

ABSTRACT

Since the end of WWII, Atlanticism has always been one of the lodestars of Italy’s foreign policy. Although the country’s relations with the U.S. have never been disputed, its degree of autonomy from the Transatlantic partnership has changed over the years. This article delves into such changes starting from a counter-intuitive analytical framework based on the neo-realist theory of International Relations. Such perspective can help explain Italy’s unexpected autonomy in certain periods of the cold war. Accordingly, the article re-examines two historical events: Italy’s elusive conduct during the negotiations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Achille Lauro/Sigonella crisis in 1985.

RIASSUNTO

A partire dalla fine della seconda guerra mondiale, l’atlantismo ha costantemente rappresentato una delle principali direttrici della politica estera italiana. Malgrado la centralità del rapporto con gli Stati Uniti non sia mai stata posta in discussione, il grado di autonomia da Washington è però mutato nel corso degli anni. Questo saggio indaga questi mutamenti muovendo da una cornice teorica contro-intuitiva, basata sulla teoria neo-realista delle Relazioni internazionali. Proprio questa prospettiva può infatti aiutare a comprendere l’inaspettato grado di autonomia che la politica estera italiana ha manifestato in alcune fasi della guerra fredda. Alla luce di questa impostazione, il saggio riesamina due eventi storici: la condotta elusiva da parte italiana durante i negoziati del Trattato di Non Proliferazione Nucleare e la crisi di Sigonella del 1985.

KEYWORDS:

• Italian foreign policy
• Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) negotiations
• crisis of Sigonella

PAROLE CHIAVE:

• Politica estera italiana
• Trattato di non-proliferazione
• crisi di Sigonella

Notes

1. Statement by the Italian Foreign Minister (Fanfani) to the Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee [Extract]: Non Dissemination of Nuclear Weapons, July 29, 1965, in Documents on Disarmament, 1965, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 1966, 288–289. In September 1965 the Italian representative at the E.N.D.C. tabled a proposed formal declaration stating the same commitment: cfr. Italian Proposal Submitted to the Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee: Draft on Unilateral Non Acquisition Declaration, September 14, 1965, in Documents on Disarmament, 1965 cit., 411–412.

2. Statement by the Italian Foregin Minister (Fanfani) to the Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee: Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons [Extract], August 1, 1967, in Documents on Disarmament, 1967, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 1968, 312–315.

3. In the amendment proposed by Italian representative at the E.N.D.C., a X indicated the period of validity of the treaty. Cfr. Italian Amendment to Article VII of the Draft Nonpropiferation Treaty, October 24, 1967, in Documents on Disarmament, 1967, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 1969, 529.

4. The issue of the N.P.T. ratification was still at the top of the U.S. agenda during the state visit paid by the Italian President Giovanni Leone in Washington in the late summer of 1974. Cf. Hartman to Kissinger, memorandum, September 12, 1974, in Gerald Ford Library, Ann Arbor, National Security Adviser, NSC Europe, Canada, and Ocean Affairs Staff Files, 1974–1977, box 71, folder September 1974-Italy-President Leone (5) WH; traces of the pressure exerted by N.A.T.O. allies is contained in Millard to Callaghan, Report, June 3, 1975, in The National Archives (T.N.A.), Kew, Fco 66/764.

5. As far as the embarrassment in the Foreign Office is concerned, see among others M.R. Eaton, Legal Adviser, Report, July 30, 1975, in T.N.A., Fco 66/764.

6. Gerlini’s work is based on a large amount of newly available Italian primary sources, such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomatic documents in the series ‘Achille Lauro’ and ‘Israele-Palestina’ at the Giulio Andreotti Archive in Rome, personal papers such as those of Gennaro Acquaviva (Fondazione di studi storici Filippo Turati) as well as the documents of the Achille Lauro trial at the Genoa Court of Appeal.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea Carati

Andrea Carati is Associate professor in International Relations and Foreign Policy Analysis at the University of Milan. Email: [email protected]

Mariele Merlati

Mariele Merlati is Associate professor in International History at the University of Milan.

Daniela Vignati

Daniela Vignati is lecturer in International History at the University of Milan.