Opposition to the war in Vietnam between Italy and the United States. Genealogy of an antimilitarist imaginary

Abstract

The American military escalation in Vietnam fueled widespread discontent that soon erupted into open dissent. Pacifist and anti-militarist initiatives proliferated, turning Vietnam into a global anti-imperialist reference point. In Italy, along with a shared feeling of internationalist solidarity, an ambiguous perception emerged, viewing the United States both as an enemy to be fought and, at the same time, an example to emulate. The transnational contacts of the New Left bypassed this mistrust, allowing contamination between different practices of contestation. These exchanges notably influenced protest movements, which revitalized the slogan “bring the Vietnam war home”. Conflict in the streets erupted, exacerbating differences between the old and New Left and giving rise to unprecedented phenomena, such as the soldiers’ anti-war movement. The article shows how mobilizations against the Vietnam War shaped an anti-militarist imaginary capable of spreading globally.