U.S. bases located in Italy have had a very signifi cant role in the U.S. post- war security strategy. During the Cold War, the bases played a major role in the strategy of containment of the Soviet Union in Europe and in the Mediterranean region. In the post- Cold War period, their function considerably evolved, turning the country into a fundamental hub for power projection toward North Africa and the Middle East. This chapter analyzes the evolving role of the U.S. bases in Italy from three different perspectives: (1) their strategic purpose; (2) the degree of organized domestic resistance to their presence; (3) the legal framework regulating the use of the bases. The chapter is further divided into two sections, looking at the Cold War period and the post- Cold War period.
U.S. bases in Italy: From a Cold War frontier to a hub for power projection
Matteo Dian
2020
Abstract
U.S. bases located in Italy have had a very signifi cant role in the U.S. post- war security strategy. During the Cold War, the bases played a major role in the strategy of containment of the Soviet Union in Europe and in the Mediterranean region. In the post- Cold War period, their function considerably evolved, turning the country into a fundamental hub for power projection toward North Africa and the Middle East. This chapter analyzes the evolving role of the U.S. bases in Italy from three different perspectives: (1) their strategic purpose; (2) the degree of organized domestic resistance to their presence; (3) the legal framework regulating the use of the bases. The chapter is further divided into two sections, looking at the Cold War period and the post- Cold War period.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
