The impact of international events on italian political cultures: the case of the Gulf war

This chapter investigates the impact of the Gulf War on Italian political cultures. A significant turning point in the eventful two- year period between 1989 and 1991, the Gulf War ushered in a set of relevant transformations with regard to the nature of war, the role of mass media communication in conflicts, North-South relations. This consequential event caught Italy on the verge of a momentous transition of its own: the country was suspended between the mindset, preoccupations, and political dynamics of the fading Cold War world and the novelties and uncertainties of a dawning phase. In this midst of this epochal transition and confronted with the Gulf War, Italian political cultures were faced with a number of crucial issues, such as Italy’s foreign policy and the international role of its armed forces after 1989, public attitudes towards peace and war, and, more in general, the role of politics and traditional political parties in an increasingly globalized world.