«NATO will be our Vietnam»: Italy between loyalty to the Atlantic Pact and the ques-tioning of military bases.

Abstract

On February 27 and 28, 1969, Richard Nixon travelled to Italy to explain the White House’s new foreign policy to his most loyal allies before departing for the Soviet Union-a visit that had far-reaching consequences for both domestic politics and Italian-American relations. His arrival was preceded by a conflict over Italy’s membership in nato. The PCI, in fact, had called for the country’s exit from the Atlantic Pact and the closure of us military bases on Italian territory. This essay, excerpted from the author’s forthcoming habilitation on diplomatic relations between Italy, the United States and Chile, examines Nixon’s first, eventful to Rome and the reactions of the main political parties to the new form of Atlanticism proposed by his administration. The sensitive issue of U.S. military bases brought into question by the rise of anti-militarist movements and the ideologization of the debate surrounding their presence on Italian soil – is also addressed.