"The role of Italy in Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa: the geopolitical context from WWI to the present day"
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Type
ThesisThesis type
Masters by ResearchAuthor/s
Abbondanza, GabrieleAbstract
The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of Italy in the context of Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, focusing on the period between World War I and the present day, with the goal of describing how its role has evolved and why. Despite the fact that there is a ...
See moreThe aim of this thesis is to examine the role of Italy in the context of Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, focusing on the period between World War I and the present day, with the goal of describing how its role has evolved and why. Despite the fact that there is a sufficient number of Italian and international studies dealing with Italy’s pre-WWII relations with Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, there are few works closely examining Italy’s postcolonial role in detail. Moreover, there is marked lack of research dealing with Italy’s current geopolitical role in these regions, a gap that this thesis seeks to address. Given the complexity and the scope of the topic, both qualitative and quantitative data have been employed for this work, while a geopolitical approach was used for the development of this research. This thesis shows that the role of Italy in the context of Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, in the timeframe covered by this work, has been very different depending on the historical moment under examination. The first half of the twentieth century showed an increasing commitment of Italy in Africa, while the post-war period, by contrast, represented the historical phase in which Italian influence in Africa reached its lowest level. Throughout the second half of the last century, however, Italy has claimed the role of main trading partner and advocate of state building and nation building processes with its former colonies. Moreover, the last few years have shown a renewed relevance of Italy’s economic and political relations within its geopolitical context, despite the outbreak of the Arab Springs in 2011.
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See moreThe aim of this thesis is to examine the role of Italy in the context of Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, focusing on the period between World War I and the present day, with the goal of describing how its role has evolved and why. Despite the fact that there is a sufficient number of Italian and international studies dealing with Italy’s pre-WWII relations with Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, there are few works closely examining Italy’s postcolonial role in detail. Moreover, there is marked lack of research dealing with Italy’s current geopolitical role in these regions, a gap that this thesis seeks to address. Given the complexity and the scope of the topic, both qualitative and quantitative data have been employed for this work, while a geopolitical approach was used for the development of this research. This thesis shows that the role of Italy in the context of Mediterranean Africa and the Horn of Africa, in the timeframe covered by this work, has been very different depending on the historical moment under examination. The first half of the twentieth century showed an increasing commitment of Italy in Africa, while the post-war period, by contrast, represented the historical phase in which Italian influence in Africa reached its lowest level. Throughout the second half of the last century, however, Italy has claimed the role of main trading partner and advocate of state building and nation building processes with its former colonies. Moreover, the last few years have shown a renewed relevance of Italy’s economic and political relations within its geopolitical context, despite the outbreak of the Arab Springs in 2011.
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Date
2015-02-08Licence
The author retains copyright of this thesis. It may only be used for the purposes of research and study. It must not be used for any other purposes and may not be transmitted or shared with others without prior permission.Faculty/School
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, School of Social and Political SciencesDepartment, Discipline or Centre
Department of Government and International RelationsAwarding institution
The University of SydneyShare