Italy, as a whole, has been shaped by its long and rich history. This includes everything from class and racial conflict, to military advancements, the slow creep of fascism under Mussolini, and myriad economic and immigration related issues. Italy has long prided itself on an ability to welcome immigrants and a general sense that racial identity should always be secondary to national identity. Fundamentally, this meant that Italians cared more about whether or not a person was born in Italy and had an Italian upbringing than the color of one’s skin or the genetic makeup of the individual. This nationalistic fervor has still plagued the nation in some ways, as it makes life harder for those attempting to immigrate and naturalize successfully,
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Located near the Mesopotamian region in southern Europe, the country houses the city of Rome, which was once considered the greatest and most powerful city in the world. Military conflict in the region cannot simply be split into historic and modern, but must be considered in terms of the Axis of Evil and its current involvement as the Italian Republic within the United Nations, as the country’s military history spans from the Thirty Year’s War through World War II (Paoletti 25). This reinforces the thesis that Italy’s determination to be welcoming to foreigners is not just a form of obsequiousness but a direct response to a past in which Italy was on the wrong side of history. Italy’s involvement in the Axis of Evil, alongside Germany and Japan, caused the country to experience great economic upheaval in the following years. It did not engage in any military conflict until 1982 in which it joined the United States, France, and the UK in fighting against the Islamic Jihadist Organization (Paoletti …show more content…
This history, including its stance on immigration, its fervent nationalism in the 1940s, and its working conditions have all impacted the politics and culture of the nation. The single most impactful element on Italy’s culture is likely its geographic locale and its propensity towards accepting foreigners. However, as the thesis iterates, this culture is equally shaped by the dark history of fascism in its past and the country’s willingness to side with a tyrant like Hitler. Italy has worked to become a fair and moral country in the modern world, working with the UN, and only joining in military conflicts that benefit the world at large, instead of simply helping a singularly purposeful nation like Italy once
Located near the Mesopotamian region in southern Europe, the country houses the city of Rome, which was once considered the greatest and most powerful city in the world. Military conflict in the region cannot simply be split into historic and modern, but must be considered in terms of the Axis of Evil and its current involvement as the Italian Republic within the United Nations, as the country’s military history spans from the Thirty Year’s War through World War II (Paoletti 25). This reinforces the thesis that Italy’s determination to be welcoming to foreigners is not just a form of obsequiousness but a direct response to a past in which Italy was on the wrong side of history. Italy’s involvement in the Axis of Evil, alongside Germany and Japan, caused the country to experience great economic upheaval in the following years. It did not engage in any military conflict until 1982 in which it joined the United States, France, and the UK in fighting against the Islamic Jihadist Organization (Paoletti …show more content…
This history, including its stance on immigration, its fervent nationalism in the 1940s, and its working conditions have all impacted the politics and culture of the nation. The single most impactful element on Italy’s culture is likely its geographic locale and its propensity towards accepting foreigners. However, as the thesis iterates, this culture is equally shaped by the dark history of fascism in its past and the country’s willingness to side with a tyrant like Hitler. Italy has worked to become a fair and moral country in the modern world, working with the UN, and only joining in military conflicts that benefit the world at large, instead of simply helping a singularly purposeful nation like Italy once