Mission Italy : on the front lines of the Cold War / Richard N. Gardner ; foreword by Zbigniew Brzezinski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gardner, Richard N.

Contributor:

Bloomsbury (Firm), publisher.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gardner, Richard N.

Politics and government.

Diplomatic relations.

Diplomacy.

Ambassadors.

Ambassadors--United States--Biography.

Cold War--Diplomatic history.

Cold War.

United States--Foreign relations--Italy.

United States.

United States--Foreign relations--1977-1981.

Italy--Politics and government--1976-1994.

Italy.

United States--Foreign relations--Europe.

Europe--Foreign relations--United States.

Europe.

Italy--Foreign relations--United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxi, 349 pages) : illustrations ; cm.

Distribution:

New York : Bloomsbury Publishing(US), 2005.

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, ©2005.

Summary:

"This memoir of Richard N. Gardner's years as ambassodor to Italy from 1977 to 1981 offers insights into the foreign policy of the Carter administration as well as into a critical turning point in Italy's history. This turbulent period was marked by the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro, the failed attempt of the Italian Communist Party to take power, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the seizure of American hostages in Tehran. It was also the time of Italy's historic decision to deploy U.S. cruise missiles, which Mikhail Gorbachev identified as a key factor in his decision to shift Soviet foreign policy toward genuine disarmament and peaceful cooperation based on the free choice of political systems."

"Drawing on hitherto classified material, Gardner shows how wise diplomacy under President Jimmy Carter's leadership played a part in the defeat of communism in Italy and in the eventual collapse of the Soviet empire. His diplomatic narrative is filled with portraits of American and Italian leaders as well as revealing details of policy differences inside the Carter administration and between Washington and Gardener's Rome embassy. The result is a contribution to our understanding of crisis diplomacy and of the victory of the Western alliance in the Cold War. Gardener's memoir will be invaluable for all readers interested in the inner workings of U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy, and European politics."--Jacket.

Contents:

Foreword / Zbigniew Brzezinski

The Road to Rome

A Phone Call after Christmas

The Italian Challenge

Law and Diplomacy

How to Marry a Country

The Italian "Miracle" Turns Sour

Helping "Jimmy Who?"

Carter and Italy

Shaping a Policy

My Appointment is Announced

First Preparations in Washington

The Mondale Visit to Rome

Drafting the Carter Policy on Eurocommunism

Undone by the French Connection

Senate Hearings and Swearing-In

A Difficult Beginning

"Prima de Parlar, Tasi"

First Meetings with Italian Leaders

Italian Press Reactions

The French Connection Again

Finally-A Clear Statement

Key Economic Decisions

Moro and Craxi

Andreotti Goes to Washington

Managing an Embassy

... And a Residence

Emphasizing Public Diplomacy

Human Rights and the Communists

My First Trip North

The "Programmatic Accord"

What Kind of Visit?

The Andreotti-Carter Meeting

The "Strategy of Cooperation"

On a Slippery Slope

A Venetian "Homecoming"

High-Level Visitors

Watching the Communists

The Embassy Sounds the Alarm

Moro's Views on Terrorism

Confronting Andreotti

Fanfani's Bombshell

Craxi, La Malfa, and Moro

The Moment of Truth

The Embassy Asks Washington to Act

The January 12 Statement

At the Center of the Storm

My Last Meeting with Moro

The NSC Meets Again on Italy

The Moro Tragedy

Terror Strikes at the Heart

Who is Behind the Red Brigades?

Soviet and PCI Disinformation

The Moro "Memoriale."

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-332) and index.

Print version record

ISBN:

979-82-16-41236-6

OCLC:

1416247176