Italy and the Middle East: Geopolitics, Dialogue and Power During the Cold War

Italy played a vital role in the Cold War dynamics that shaped the Middle East in the latter part of the 20th century. It was a junior partner in the strategic plans of NATO and warmly appreciated by some Arab countries for its regional approach. But Italian foreign policy towards the Middle East balanced between promoting dialogue, stability and cooperation on one hand, and colluding with global superpower manoeuvres to exploit existing tensions and achieve local influence on the other. Italy and the Middle East brings together a range of experts on Italian international relations to analyse, for the first time in English, the country's Cold War relationship with the Middle East. Chapters covering a wide range of defining twentieth century events - from the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Lebanese Civil War, to the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan – demonstrate the nuances of Italian foreign policy in dealing with the complexity of Middle Eastern relations. The collection demonstrates the interaction of local and global issues in shaping Italy's international relations with the Middle East, making it essential reading to students of the Cold War, regional interactions, and the international relations of Italy and the Middle East.

Table of Contents:
Preface Antonio Varsori, University of Padova, Italy Introduction: The Foreign Policy of a Middle Power at the Geopolitical Crossroads Luciano Monzali, University of Bari, Italy and Paolo Soave, University of Bologna, Italy Chapter 1: Middle East and the Cold War Joseph A. Bongiorno, St. John's University, USA Chapter 2: The Arab-Israeli Issue in the Italian Foreign Policy Luca Riccardi, University of Cassino, Italy Chapter 3: The EU, Italy and the Middle East: the Euro-Arab Dialogue Silvio Labbate, University of Salento, Italy Chapter 4: Gaddafi and the Troubled Relations With Italy Since 1970 Paolo Soave, University of Bologna, Italy Chapter 5: Turkey and Italy Federico Imperato, University of Bari, Italy Chapter 6: The Iranian Revolution Seen by Rome Rosario Milano, University of Bari, Italy Chapter 7: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the Italian Foreign Policy Luciano Monzali, University of Bari, Italy Chapter 8: Italy and the Lebanese Civil War Roberta La Fortezza, University of Bari, Italy Chapter 9: The Sigonella Crisis: The Middle East and the Atlantic Alliance Matteo Gerlini, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy Chapter 10: Italy and Algeria: a Resilient Connection Azzedine Layachi, St. John's University, USA Chapter 11: Italy and Pakistan Giuseppe Spagnulo, University of Bari, Italy Chapter 12: Partners in Rivalry: Britain, Eni and the Tehran Oil Agreement of 1971 Bruno Pierri, University of Parma, Italy Chapter 13: Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East. The Italian Contribution Lorenzo Medici, University of Perugia, Italy Chapter 14: The Middle East Beyond the Cold War. The Case of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (1989- 1993) Arturo Marzano, University of Pisa, Italy Biographical Notes of Authors Index

About the Author :
Luciano Monzali is Full Professor of History of International Relations at the University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Italy. He is the author of The Italians of Dalmatia: From Italian Unification to World War I (2009). Paolo Soave is Associate Professor of History of International Relations at the Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy. He is the author of The American Revolution in the Mediterranean (2004) and has published in the New Historical Review.

Review :
This book breaks new ground in our understanding of the interests and agency of a middle-ranking European power such as Italy in the Middle Eastern checkerboard. The product of often painstaking analysis of unique primary sources from a variety of Italian governmental archives, this book goes beyond the frequent focus on superpower involvement in the Middle East to deliver a very informative set of analyses by experts of the field of the interactions between republican Italy and a variety of Middle Eastern actors, both state and non-state. A seminal and very important book.