This open access book explores how Italy experienced the crucial period of transition that has come to be known as the 'Shock of the Global' during the 1970s. This decade marked a change between the prevailing socio-political and economic structures of the post-war world the 'golden age' of national and Fordist capitalism and a new horizon which would become much more integrated at a global and transnational level. Drawing from a diverse range of sources, the collection focuses on the perceptions of the crisis and the novelties of the globalization process, as well as the complex process of adjustment that occurred as a result, revealing how events during the 1970s impacted Italy's collective mentality, its social groups, political parties and culture. Comprising 23 brief chapters, each examining a symbolic event of the decade, this book acts as a starting point for studying the Italian perception of international change. An insightful read for anyone researching modern Italian history, globalization or transnational history, this book demonstrates how Italian culture, society and politics reacted to international stimuli from abroad during the 1970s.

Examines the transition period in the 1970s between the crisis of the old world and the dawning of a 'new globalization' One of the first English collections exploring Italy's perspective on the globalization process Provides a transnational perspective, comparable with the European and global scene This book is open access, which means that you have free and unlimited access

Autorentext

Guido Formigoni is Full Professor of Contemporary History at the IULM University of Milan, Italy, where he holds the position of Vice Rector. He has written extensively on international politics, Catholic parties and the influence of the Cold War on the Italian Republic. Guido is also a member of the International Scientific Committee of Civitas (Forum of Archives and Research on Christian Democracy) and coordinates the scientific committee for the edition of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’s ‘Complete Works’. 

Inhalt

1. Introductory Remarks.- 2. Right to Vote at Age 18. 1 July 1971. From the USA to Italy.- 3. The End of Dollar Convertibility. 15 August 1971. The 'Italian Proposal' for a New Bretton Woods.- 4. The Launch of the First Microprocessor. 15 November 1971. Perceptions of the Digital Revolution.- 5. The End of the Third Indo-Pakistani War. 16 December 1971. The Italian Press and the Birth of Bangladesh.- 6. The UN's First Global Conference on International Environmental Issues. 5-6 June 1972. The Emergence of Ecological Awareness in Italian Politics?.- 7. The Munich Massacre. 5-6 September 1972. Terrorism as an International Issue.- 8. Return to Wounded Knee. 27 February 1973. Italy and the Native Americans.- 9. The Military Coup in Chile. 11 September 1973. Italian Civil Society and the Economic Policies of the Pinochet Regime.- 10. The Rise of the Energy Question. 16 October 1973. Economy, Birth of an Energy Problem and Consumer Goods Shock.- 11. Schmidt Becomes Chancellor of West Germany. 6 May 1974. The Changes in German Politics as Seen from Italy: Reactions and Debates.- 12. International Conference on Minorities in Trieste. 10-14 July 1974. The Defence of Linguistic Minorities and the Embryonic Beginnings of the Liga Veneta.- 13. The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. 1 August 1975. Détente in Europe as an Opportunity to Overcome Cold War Divisions.- 14. The End of European Colonialism. 11 November 1975. Italy and Southern Africa on the Cusp of the 1970s.- 15. The First G6 Summit Takes Place at Rambouillet. 15-17 November 1975. Emergence of an International Governance of Globalization?.- 16. The Concorde is Airborne. 21 January 1976. Italy and the Flight to a Smaller World.- 17. Modern Myths and Mass Culture in the 1970s. 25 May 1977. Italy Reacts to Star Wars .- 18. Pope John Paul II Is Elected. 16 October 1978. The New Global Sacred.- 19. Deng Xiaoping Launches the 'Four Modernizations'. 13 December 1978. The Turning Point of Chinese Communism as Seen from Italy.- 20. Towards a New Economic Supranational Interdependence. 13 March 1979. The European Monetary System (EMS) Comes into Force.- 21. The Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Accident. 28 March 1979. The Debate about Nuclear Energy.- 22. The Rise of Thatcherism. 3 May 1979. Italian Reactions to Conservative Politics and Neo-liberalism in the UK.- 23. The First International Elections in History. 10 June 1979. Identity, Europeanization, and Political Systems.