CONTEMPORARY HISTORY

The course aims to provide an understanding of the history of Italy of the Postwar era from a political, economic, and cultural perspective. It also aims to address the history of one of the most important parties of the so-called “First Republic,” the Italian Communist Party, during its seventy years of existence (1921-1991). 

The expected learning outcomes, according to the guidelines set out in the Dublin Descriptors, are as follows: 

- DD1: learning and understanding the vocabulary and terminology of the proposed disciplinary program, with particular reference to the historical and social aspects of the phenomena studied and their application in broader spatial and temporal contexts. The aim is also to provide an overview of the fundamentals of the historical method. 

- DD2: understanding and mastery of the concepts underlying the topics studied in depth. The study of the historical trajectory of Italian society in the post-World War II period, viewed in its various aspects: economic, political, and cultural. Specific paths and cases will also be illustrated through the use of different types of documentary sources: traditional and new, specific to the “information society.”

- DD3 and DD4: the proposed course aims to provide students with specific skills enabling them to develop precise individual paths aimed at implementing and strengthening their independent judgment and structuring a complete path that allows them to convey the skills they have learned to the outside world.

- DD5: the primary objective of the proposed course and program is to enable the development of targeted learning skills that can represent an essential asset for the student, which can be used in future competitions even outside the university.

During the lessons, teaching will be both traditional and interactive. The course will consist of both in-person lectures and blended learning (accounting for one-third of the total credits) via the University's Microsoft Teams platform. Students can register on the Moodle channel, where the online lesson plan and all course materials will be published.

No prerequisites required. However, a basic knowledge of Contemporary History and/or the reading the last volume of a high school manual is highly recommended. 

Italian Political and Social History from the end of World War Two to today. The italian case in the Reconstruction of Western Europe. The Cold War History. The 1950s and 1960s: the Economic Boom, the emergence of the consumer society, the “centro-sinistra”. The 1968/1969 Italian student and worker movement. The “Strategy of tension”. The 1973 oil crisis and its consequences. The “Italian crisis”. The Italian Communist Party and the Compromesso storico Strategy. The 1977 Movement. The turning point of 1977-1980. The Aldo Moro murder case. Italy in the eighties. The end of the "Cold War and its consequences on the Italian political scene. Tangentopoli and the end of the "First Republic". The "seconda Repubblica".
The Italian Communist Party's History from the Foundation to its dissolution. The characters of the PCI. The role of Gramsci and Togliatti. Clandestinity. Stalinism. From the policy of the "united front" to the "popular fronts"i. The Resistance. The New Party. The PCI in Republican Italy. 1956.  Facing the centro-sinistra. Cultural policy. The analysis of Italian society. The debate after the death of Togliatti. The PCI and 1968. Berlinguer and the "compromesso storico". The crisis of the eighties. The fall of the Berlin wall and the dissolution of the PCI. 

1) A. Lepre, Storia della prima Repubblica. L'Italia dal 1943 al 2003, Il Mulino. 

2)  A. Vittoria, Storia del PCI 1921-1991, Carocci, Roma 2006.

The exam includes an oral exam. Assessment will be based on: presentation skills and vocabulary accuracy; development of knowledge; and in-depth understanding of content.

The final grade is expressed in thirtieths. Assessment takes into account the student's level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, the ability to apply the main theoretical frameworks to the analysis of educational situations, the appropriate use of disciplinary vocabulary, the ability to make connections between the topics covered, and the ability to argue clearly and coherently for one's answers.

• A sufficient grade (18-21/30) demonstrates mastery of the essential content and adequate presentation skills, albeit with limited autonomy in analysis and connections.

• A fair or good grade (22-27/30) demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the content, a good ability to apply theoretical frameworks, correct use of disciplinary vocabulary, and satisfactory argumentation skills.

• An excellent grade (28-30/30) demonstrates in-depth and critically reviewed knowledge of the content, high levels of analytical and connecting skills, mastery of disciplinary language, and independent argumentation.

• Honors are awarded to students who demonstrate full achievement of the learning outcomes, excellent critical analysis of the content, and particularly effective argumentation and use of disciplinary vocabulary.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with applicable laws, interested students may request a personal interview to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their learning objectives and specific needs. They may also contact the Department's CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSA) contact teacher.

The fall of fascism and the Resistance. The foundation of the Republic. A Republic of the parties? The role of the Christian Democrats. Centrism. The economic miracle. A New Italy? The center-left. 1968 and its consequences. The years of "general contestation". The "strategy of tension". Historical compromise and "national solidarity". The Moro case. Left-wing terrorism. The eighties. The end of the "Cold War and its consequences on the Italian political scene. Tangentopoli and the end of the "First Republic". The new political arrangements after 1994. 

The characters of the PCI. The role of Antonio Gramsci and Togliatti. Clandestinity. Stalinism. From the policy of the "united front" to the "popular fronts"i. The Resistance. The New Party. The PCI in Republican Italy. 1956.  Facing the centro-sinistra. Cultural policy. The death of Togliatti. The 1968. Berlinguer and the "compromesso storico". The crisis of the eighties. The fall of the Berlin wall and the dissolution of the PCI.