Abstract
This article deals with the international strategy of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) towards the USA: it tries to explain why, during the 1970s, the most sophisticated and well-organized Communist party of the western world misunderstood the declarations of the newly elected US President Jimmy Carter as a policy of openness towards European leftist forces. Based on primary and press sources, and unpublished interviews, research indicates that the PCI believed that establishing links with politically progressive circles in the USA would grant it sufficient credibility with Washington to influence US politics towards the PCI itself. Such belief depended on several factors: the actual existence of intellectual and political attention from prominent US scholars and certain liberal environments; the PCI's misunderstanding of the role played by American intellectuals; the fierce faith in the PCI's opportunities thanks to détente; and, last, the PCI's fascination for the ‘altra America’.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.