Research On U.S. Policy Toward Italy During The Truman Administration

The U.S. foreign policy toward Italy during the presidency of Harry S. Truman is an important part of the U.S Cold War policy to Europe. Italy was seen as the "key" country to the United States in the Cold War, and the fundamental reason was Italy had a strong Communist Party strength and the strategic location. Therefore, the core objective and the important content of the U.S. postwar policy toward Italy was to establish and maintain a pro-American and anti-communism Italian government, undermine the strength of the Italian Communist Party, limit the Soviet influence in Italy, and include Italy in the Western political, economic and military system.Based on the academic works of the United States, Britain and Italy, as well as many documents from the Foreign Relations of the United States series, Declassified Documents Reference System database, the Digital National Security Archive database, the National Security Council documents, the Central Intelligence Agency documents, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff documents, the main purpose of this dissertation is to review a number of important actions and events related to Italy during the Truman period, to explore the formation, establishment and implementation of the U.S. policy toward Italy during the Truman period, to reveal the substance of the U.S. policy toward Italy submitting to the strategy of containment, and to sum up the characteristics of the U.S. policy toward Italy during the early days of the Cold War.A basic hypothesis of this dissertation is that the Truman period was the formation and establishment stage of the U.S. postwar policy toward Italy. From the negotiation of the Italian Peace Treaty, the formulation of NSC1 series and the interference in the 1948 Italian general election, to the inclusion of Italy into the NATO and the formulation of NSC67 series, then to support a revision on the Italian Peace Treaty and the implementation of "Demagnetize" plan and "Offshore Procurement" plan, the U.S. Cold War policy toward Italy was formed and established step-by-step, echoing with the formation of the Strategy of Containment and evolvement of the Cold War. Italy was turned into an important testing ground of the U.S. Cold War policy and the Strategy of Containment. During the formation and establishment of the U.S. policy toward Italy, the Italian local factors played a very important role. This dissertation is composed of introduction, five chapters, and conclusion.The first chapter reviews the world situation and the Italy's policital and economic situation. The second chapter analyzes the differences and compromises between the America, Britain, the Soviet Union and other allies in the process of the Italian Peace Treaty, as well as the American aid to Italian reconstruction, which aimed for the restoration of Italy's economic order and political stability. Chapter Three mainly explores the formation of NSC1 series and the America's intervention in the 1948 Italian general election with economic aid, political support, propaganda warfare, psychological warfare, and covert operations. The basic objective of the U.S. policy toward Italy was to establish and maintain Italy independent, democratic, pro-US and anti-communism. Chapter Four explores the adjustment of the U.S. policy toward Italy during the Truman period, especially the formulation of NSC67 series. The United States not only should take full advantage of the political, economic strength to help Italy maintain the territorial integrity and political independence, in special circumstances, military force should also be available as the most effective way, but also adopt covert operations to prevent the Italian Communist Party from participating in the Italian government. Chapter Five investigates the implementation of the adjusted U.S. policy toward Italy, such as to support Italy's rearmament and revision of the Italian Peace Treaty, develop the "Demagnetize" plan and "Offshore Procurement" plan.The U.S. policy toward Italy had much characteristic and far-reaching influence. The Tuman Adiministration made U.S. policy to Italy via the elite decision-making pattern. They used economic and military assistance, political warfare, psychological warfare, covert action and other means, to maintain the Italian pro-American anti-communist and prevent the Italian Communist Party from reentering the Italian government. They supported Italian return to international community. At the same time, Italian government had an initiative and self-determination. The United States achieved at its objectives and strengthened the Italian political polarization, accelerated the European integration process, strengthened U.S. strategic position in Europe, Mediterranean, Near East and North Africa, and promoted the formation of the Cold War.