A historical and political perspective on the Mediterranean world with a focus on political, economic and cultural bonds between Italy and the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean. The course starts with a historical introduction to the multi-faceted concept of “Mediterranean” and to some key political processes of unification of the Mediterranean region from ancient to modern times. It will then focus on Italian foreign and Mediterranean policy and on recent developments of Euro- Mediterranean cooperation. The course will have a special focus specifically on recent developments in the area: The so called “Arab spring”, the future of the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process” and the roots of the current foreign intervention in Libya.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Reflect upon different definitions of “Mediterranean” and recognize some fundamental periods of political-economic conflict and/or cooperation in Mediterranean history.
Understand the importance of political and economic relations in the Mediterranean as a line of continuity in Italian foreign policy.
Analyze Italy’s Mediterranean policy in the broader context of Italy’s European relations.
Understand the aims, achievements and failures of Italian colonial policy before World War I and in the aftermath of it under Fascism.
Assess specific Italian interests in Northern Africa and in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Understand the origins of cooperation between the European Union and non-EU Mediterranean countries.
Analyze recent and current developments of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through the Barcelona process and European Neighborhood Policy.
Understand recent events in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East
Method of presentation:
Lectures, seminar discussions, students’ presentations, guest lectures, field studies.
Field study:
Visit to the Museum of Italian migrations
Visit to the Jewish Temple in Rome (Sinagoga maggiore)
Required work and form of assessment:
Class participation (20%); Midterm exam (25%); Policy paper and class discussion (25%); final exam (30%).
content:
Week 1 - Introduction to the course
Session 1: Introducing the course and the teacher, guidelines on policy-papers
Session 2: Field study to the Museum of Italian migrations
Week 2 - Reunified Italy and colonialism in Libya
Session 3: Early Italian foreign policy and colonialism, an outline
Session 4: The conquest and the colonization of Libya
Readings:
Ronald Bruce St. John, Libya: From Colony to Independence, Oneworld, 2008, ch. 3 “Italian Colonial Era, 1911-1943, pp. 56-83
Week 3 - Italy and Libya from decolonization to date
Session 5: Italy and independent Libya from the 1950s to Qadhafi
Session 6: Field study to the Jewish Temple or to the Mosque in Rome
Readings:
Valter Coralluzzo, Italy and the Mediterranean: Relations with the Maghreb countries, Modern Italy, Vol. 13, No. 2, May 2008, 115–133
Sergio Romano, Italian foreign policy after the end of the Cold War, Journal of Modern Italian Studies14(1) 2009: 8–14
Week 4
Session 7: Discussion of policy-papers: Italy and the “new” Libya
Session 8: Midterm Exam
Week 5 - The roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict and Italian foreign policy
Session 9: The Arab-Israeli conflict, an outline
Session 10: Italian “Mediterranean Atlanticism” and the Arab-Israeli conflict during the Cold War
Readings:
Charles Smith, “The Arab-Israeli conflict” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 231-253
Manlio Graziano, The Rise and Fall of ‘Mediterranean Atlanticism’ in Italian Foreign Policy: the Case of the Near East, Modern Italy, Vol. 12, No. 3, November 2007, pp. 287–308
Week 6 - The Arab-Israeli peace process and Italian Foreign Policy
Session 11: The Oslo peace process and the Road Map to peace: the growing European role
Session 12: Discussion of Policy papers: Italian foreign policy, the EU and the peace process
Readings:
Avi Shlaim, “The Rise and the Fall of the Oslo Peace Process” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 254-271
Maurizio Carbone and Valter Coralluzzo, The Politics of Italy’s Foreign Policy in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Politics, Vol. 14, No. 3, 429–435, November 2009
Week 7 - Italy, the EU and the Arab Spring
Session 13: an outline of European policy towards the Mediterranean
Session 14: Discussion of Policy papers: Italy, the EU and the Arab Spring
Readings:
Rosemary Hollis, “Europe in the Middle East” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 331-348
Other readings provided by the teacher
Week 8 - Review and final exam
Session 15: Review
Final exam
Required readings:
Ronald Bruce St. John, Libya: From Colony to Independence, Oneworld, 2008, ch. 3 “Italian Colonial Era, 1911-1943, pp. 56-83
Valter Coralluzzo, Italy and the Mediterranean: Relations with the Maghreb countries, Modern Italy, Vol. 13, No. 2, May 2008, 115–133
Sergio Romano, Italian foreign policy after the end of the Cold War, Journal of Modern Italian Studies 14(1) 2009: 8–14
Charles Smith, “The Arab-Israeli conflict” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 231-253
Manlio Graziano, The Rise and Fall of ‘Mediterranean Atlanticism’ in Italian Foreign Policy: the Case of the Near East, Modern Italy, Vol. 12, No. 3, November 2007, pp. 287–308
Avi Shlaim, “The Rise and the Fall of the Oslo Peace Process” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 254-271
Maurizio Carbone and Valter Coralluzzo, The Politics of Italy’s Foreign Policy in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Politics, Vol. 14, No. 3, 429–435, November 2009
Rosemary Hollis, “Europe in the Middle East” in Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2009 pp. 331-348
Other readings provided by the teacher.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Mattia Toaldo is a lecturer at IES since 2007. He is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Society for Libyan Studies and at the British School at Rome. He is currently writing a book for the Routeledge Publishing Company on “The Origins of the US War on Terror: Reagan’s policy in Libya and Lebanon”. He earned his Ph.D. in Diplomatic History at Roma 3 and has already published a book in Italian on the 2008 US elections. In the last decade he has worked as manager in an ICT company, journalist at the daily Il Messaggero and extensively as political consultant also for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Italy and the Mediterranean World
A historical and political perspective on the Mediterranean world with a focus on political, economic and cultural bonds between Italy and the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean. The course starts with a historical introduction to the multi-faceted concept of “Mediterranean” and to some key political processes of unification of the Mediterranean region from ancient to modern times. It will then focus on Italian foreign and Mediterranean policy and on recent developments of Euro- Mediterranean cooperation. The course will have a special focus specifically on recent developments in the area: The so called “Arab spring”, the future of the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process” and the roots of the current foreign intervention in Libya.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Lectures, seminar discussions, students’ presentations, guest lectures, field studies.
Class participation (20%); Midterm exam (25%); Policy paper and class discussion (25%); final exam (30%).
Week 1 - Introduction to the course
Session 1: Introducing the course and the teacher, guidelines on policy-papers
Session 2: Field study to the Museum of Italian migrations
Week 2 - Reunified Italy and colonialism in Libya
Session 3: Early Italian foreign policy and colonialism, an outline
Session 4: The conquest and the colonization of Libya
Readings:
Week 3 - Italy and Libya from decolonization to date
Session 5: Italy and independent Libya from the 1950s to Qadhafi
Session 6: Field study to the Jewish Temple or to the Mosque in Rome
Readings:
Week 4
Session 7: Discussion of policy-papers: Italy and the “new” Libya
Session 8: Midterm Exam
Week 5 - The roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict and Italian foreign policy
Session 9: The Arab-Israeli conflict, an outline
Session 10: Italian “Mediterranean Atlanticism” and the Arab-Israeli conflict during the Cold War
Readings:
Week 6 - The Arab-Israeli peace process and Italian Foreign Policy
Session 11: The Oslo peace process and the Road Map to peace: the growing European role
Session 12: Discussion of Policy papers: Italian foreign policy, the EU and the peace process
Readings:
Week 7 - Italy, the EU and the Arab Spring
Session 13: an outline of European policy towards the Mediterranean
Session 14: Discussion of Policy papers: Italy, the EU and the Arab Spring
Readings:
Week 8 - Review and final exam
Session 15: Review
Final exam
Other readings provided by the teacher.
Mattia Toaldo is a lecturer at IES since 2007. He is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Society for Libyan Studies and at the British School at Rome. He is currently writing a book for the Routeledge Publishing Company on “The Origins of the US War on Terror: Reagan’s policy in Libya and Lebanon”. He earned his Ph.D. in Diplomatic History at Roma 3 and has already published a book in Italian on the 2008 US elections. In the last decade he has worked as manager in an ICT company, journalist at the daily Il Messaggero and extensively as political consultant also for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.