A Question of Self-Esteem: The United States and the Cold War Choices in France and Italy, 1944-1958

(Hardback)

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Using archival materials from all three nations, this first comparative study of French and Italian relations with the United States during the early Cold War shows that French and Italian ambitions of status, or prestige, crucially affected the formation of the Western Alliance. While attention to outside appearances had a long historic tradition for both European nations, the notion was compounded by their humiliation in World War II and their consequent fear of further demotion. Only by promoting an American hegemony over Europe could France and Italy aspire respectively to attain continental leadership and equality with the other great European powers. For its part, Washington carefully calibrated concessions of mere status with the more substantial issues of international roles.

Reviews

"Alessandro Brogi's subtle of the French and Italian search for status within the American alliance system brings these two inquiries together and reveals how these two European countries renewed their international roles by the politics of ambiguity. This is a cunning history of the Cold War's new framework for old competition."-Charles S. Maier Director, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies and Krupp Foundation Professor for European studies Harvard University
"In this original, stimulating, and provocative work of international history, Alessandro Brogi expertly describes and analyzes the emergence of international politics in a new key.... His story of how former great powers like France and Italy shifted away from old-style politics to the quest for prestige in the post-World War II years provides fresh insights into cold war alliance diplomacy and illuminates the dynamics on international politics in a new regional context of interdependence. Both the peculiar tensions within the Atlantic alliance politics and its long-term staying power are more intelligible after reading Brogi's work. This history, which encompasses multiple perspectives, will be must reading for all students of European-American relations during the cold war."-Frank Ninkovich Professor of History St. John's University
"This intelligent comparison of two countries with different power resources but analogous predicaments is a good piece of international history. It enriches our understanding of postwar interdependence and provides good food for thought on the transformations of European nationalism in a multilateral context. Whether or not one agrees with Brogi's interpretation, any scholar of postwar American hegemony will have to deal with his compelling argument on the competitive nature of European 'invitations' to U.S. hegemony."-Federico Romero Professor of North American History University of Florence
[t]he first specialist study of the subject, challenges standard readings.-International History Review
[B[rogi offers a solid study, full of keen, intriguing, and incisive analyses, clearly and concisely written.-The Journal of American History
[B]rogi's work is a highly detailed and well-documented retelling of U.S.-French and U.S.-Italian diplomacy from 1944 to 1958 and beyond.-H-France Book Reviews
Interesting and serious...[a] contribution to both Italian and French postwar history....Brogi opens up new avenues of exploration of the Cold War....Brogi's book is certainly matter for thought about the Cold War-Project Muse muse.jhu.edu
"the first specialist study of the subject, challenges standard readings."-International History Review
"Brogi offers a solid study, full of keen, intriguing, and incisive analyses, clearly and concisely written."-The Journal of American History
"Brogi's work is a highly detailed and well-documented retelling of U.S.-French and U.S.-Italian diplomacy from 1944 to 1958 and beyond."-H-France Book Reviews
"Interesting and serious...a contribution to both Italian and French postwar history....Brogi opens up new avenues of exploration of the Cold War....Brogi's book is certainly matter for thought about the Cold War"-Project Muse muse.jhu.edu
"[t]he first specialist study of the subject, challenges standard readings."-International History Review
"[B[rogi offers a solid study, full of keen, intriguing, and incisive analyses, clearly and concisely written."-The Journal of American History
"[B]rogi's work is a highly detailed and well-documented retelling of U.S.-French and U.S.-Italian diplomacy from 1944 to 1958 and beyond."-H-France Book Reviews
"Interesting and serious...[a] contribution to both Italian and French postwar history....Brogi opens up new avenues of exploration of the Cold War....Brogi's book is certainly matter for thought about the Cold War"-Project Muse muse.jhu.edu

Author Bio

ALESSANDRO BROGI, educated in Italy and the United States, has published in both countries. He teaches U.S. Foreign Relations and International History at Yale University, where he is also a fellow in International Security Studies.