History of Italy

By history of the Italy , one understands the study of the facts and conditions which led to the constitution of an Italian unit State, ultimate fruit of an evolutionary process pluriséculaire which goes up, at least germinates about it, well before the 19th century.

Concerning the history of the Italian peninsula, as a geographical framework in which and an cultural identity matured developed, more or less marked, one speaks in a more suitable way of Italic history.

Italic people

The historical sources more some over the antiquated period preceding the foundation by Rome are those relating to the Grande Greece, which treats Greek establishments in the south of the Italian peninsula between the VIIIe and VII E.

The data on the others Italic People, are on the other hand rather fragmentary. The Étrusques, which are supposed to come from minor Asia but which is undoubtedly indigenous people, were installed on the slope tyrhénien of central Italy towards 800 av. J. - C., creating a powerful and evolved/moved kingdom which extended from the Plaine Po at the South. To the IV E, north was invaded by people Celtes (i.e. Gaulois), while the south saw the development of the Samnites, which were established in Campanie. Other populations developed in the center and on the coast Adriatique, of which the Osques and the Picènes. The people Italiotes are in general regarded as close relations of the Celts (Indo-European like them, and in source, like them of Central Europe). In the sector of the Latium, the Latin and the Sabins was the precursors of the civilization of Rome.

Rome

The Fondation of Rome is due, according to the legend, with Romulus and Remus in the middle of the VIII E. The civilization of Rome knew a first phase of expansion under the government of the kings de Rome, which are also the founders symbolic systems of many Roman institutions. The unification of the peninsula is led at the time of the République. After the victory of Rome against Carthage at the time of the First Punic War, principal the island S of the the Western Mediterranean also passed under the control of Rome. The second and third Punic Wars ensured to him the control of all the circumference of the Western basin of the Mediterranean.

With, Rome dominated all the basin the Mediterranean N, but following internal conflicts, the republic was transformed into empire. The government of the territories controlled by Rome was characterized by the respect of the local cultures and the economic development, supported by the realization of great infrastructures.

With the 4th century, the empire was confronted with the beginning of long series of cruel Invasions: the Visigoths, the Huns and the Ostrogoths. Under the blow of these invasions, the empire was divided into Roman Empire of Occident, which crumbled quickly, and into Roman Empire of the East (or Byzantine Empire ), which still resisted a millenium.

The Middle Ages

For more details, to see the principal article on the Italy with the Middle Ages

After the loss of its political unit, because of disappearance of the Roman empire, at the 5th century, the peninsula saw the continuation of the invasions and the internal struggles, which led to a fast succession of small States, principalities and kingdoms, often victims of the expansionist aimings of the foreign powers.

The single power able to preserve and continue the Latin culture was the Église, as well by the Monachisme, as by the creation of a temporal power in the center of Italy, the States of the Church. Those were able to be opposed to new invasions, like that of the Longobards, and with the influence of the other European powers, like that of the Francs, the Byzantine Empire and the Saint Germanic Roman Empire.

In the South, at the 11th century, the invasion of the Normands succeeds in establishing a strong capacity, which remained with the Spanish invasion, contrary with what occurred in north with progressive dismantling from the Féodalisme.

Rebirth

At the beginning of the 11th century, political turbulences led to an increasing autonomy of the Italian cities of the center-north, which marked the premises of the revival of the trade and industry. It was the beginning of a new era of economic prosperity and cultural, which lasted until the 16th century and led to the great intellectual and artistic development of the Renaissance.

To defend their autonomy as well with regard to the Empire in the north as of the Arab invasions in the south, the Commune S started to enact laws which were not, however, never enough strong to be opposed to the papal or feudal influence, because of strong internal competitions. The continuation of the conflicts between the Empire and the Church, involved in XIIIe century the division of noble and the cities in the two camps of the Guelfes and the Gibelins. Another phenomenon which resulted from the conjunction of political and religious motivations, that of the Croisades, born from the will to thwart the expansion of the Islamic capacity and to support the exchanges with the East.

Concerning the shapes of government, one assisted all' affiancamento governments related to noble families and Signorie (like the Visconti and the Sforza with Milan, the Gonzague with Mantoue, the Este with Ferrare and the Savoy) on the republican shape of government (as with Venice, Genoa and Florence, for the latter before the advent of the Médicis).

la Rebirth in Italy, origin of Renaissance

Foreign domination

At the 16th century, most of the Italian States were overcome and conquered by foreign powers, like the Spain with the south and the Austria in north. Among the effects of this domination, there was the tender of the territories to strong taking away which mined economic fabric.

Moreover, Italy suffered from the displacement of the trade of the the Mediterranean towards the Atlantique and of the blocking of consecutive cultural development to the Counter-Reformation, with like result the beginning of a slow decline.

In this economic and social crisis situation, the French revolution revived the hopes of one return to the independence of the foreign powers. The troops of Conventions abolished serfdom, changérent the borders and instituérent republics, depriving the aristocrats of their political powers, which was favorably acueuillit by the middle-class. To ensure its military campaigns France forced a conscription on Italian. After the Napoleonean defeat in 1815, the Italian countries returned to l´ old mode.

The restoration saw the end of the last autonomous entities, like the last Venezia with the Austria and the last Ligurie with the Royaume of Sardinia. aspirations which were disappointed after the constraint with the France which followed the Napoleonean campaigns

Risorgimento

For more details, to see the principal article on the Risorgimento

After the Napoleonean campaigns, nationalist pushes supported by the Savoy, which transfer an occasion there to increase the Royaume of Sardinia, led to a series of Guerres of Independence against the Empire Austro-Hungarian, two of them with the support external of the France.

Most decisive was the Second war of independence, which, with the forwarding of the Thousand to the south and the subsequent descent of Piedmontese of north, succeeds in unifying, under the banner of Savoy, most of the peninsula (other than Rome and of Venice) and to cause the proclamation of the Royaume of Italy in 1861.

In 1866, Venice was annexed to the Royaume of Italy, followed by Rome, in 1870. What caused the beginning of a fracture between the Italian State and the Église, which ended in the Accords of Lateran in 1929. The shape of government proclaimed was that of a Constitutional monarchy, with a Parlement elected with the restricted Suffrage.

Kingdom of Italy

For more details, to see the principal article on the Kingdom of Italy

The beginnings of the kingdom transfer the Italy committed in a series of wars of colonial expansion in Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Érythrée.

In the First World War Italy remained initially neutral, then entered in war to the sides of allied the May 23rd 1915. At the end of the war, Italy completed its territorial expansion by annexing Austrian territories in the North-East of the country.

On the impetus of the dissatisfaction created by the economic difficulties and social with the post-war period, one attended in 1922 the conquest of the capacity by the Fascisme, which relegated the dynasty of the Savoy in a purely formal role.

In 1940, Italy was allied Germany in the Second world war against the France and the the United Kingdom, declaring then in 1941, with the Japan, the war with the the United States and the Soviet Union. Following the allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, it was the fall of the fascistic mode and the alignment of Italy at the sides of combined against the Germany and the last fascists of the Italian Social republic. In April 1945 the forces Nazis and fascists were defeats.

Italian republic

For more details, to see the principal article on the Italian Republic

In 1946, a institutional Référendum sanctioned the end of the Monarchie and the birth of the République, with a new constitution which came into effect on January 1st 1948.

In 1949 Italy adhered to the Organization of the treaty of the North Atlantic and in 1955 it was allowed with the the United Nations. The year 1957 saw the signature of the the Treaty of Rome, which marks the birth of the European Economic community, first step towards the realization of the European Union.

In the the Seventies, Italy passed through a deep political crisis, with in particular the emergence of revolutionary movements practitioner the armed struggle. This political crisis reached its apogee in 1978 with the removal then the assassination of the chief of the party Christian-Democrat Aldo Moro by the red Brigades. This political crisis partly finds its origin in the " strategy of the tension" adopted by the Italian secret services to prevent the come to power of the Communist party. Thus, the attacks organized by the Network Gladio struck the population and caused the death of several tens of people. Starting from 1979, the Italian revolutionary movement is crushed by repression. Several thousands of militants of extreme-left are imprisoned, several hundreds are exiled abroad.

The Italian State then remains deeply marked by the capacity of the Maffia within the leading class, as well on the level of the political parties as of employers. In the the Nineties, the Italian government recognized the existence of the Gladio network within its secret services. In 1999, Italy took part in the creation of the Euro. Of 2001 with 2006, the Italian government is directed by Silvio Berlusconi, big boss made at the capacity at the head of a coalition gathering Forza Italia (populist party) and the Extreme-right-hand side.

In April 2006, after very tight elections between Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi (leader of Unione, the coalition of center-left), it is finally Prodi who carries it accuracy and which becomes the current president of the Italian council.

See too

Internal bonds

List of the old Italian States
History of Europe
List of the national histories
History

External bonds

Italy and the Maghreb with the Middle Ages by Georges Jehel, Professor emeritus of the Universities.
the Italian colonial adventure and its failure by Philippe Conrad, Historian.
Italy at the century of Dante and Giotto per Elisabeth Crouzet-Pavan, Professor of medieval history at the university Paris Iv-Sorbonne.
Southern Italy, or other Greece by Jean-Rene Jannot, Professor emeritus at the university of Nantes.

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