The Centre-Left as the Only Alternative to Authoritarianism

During the 1950s the Americans continued to support mainly the Christian Democrats (DC) in Italy. After the ascent to the White House of General Dwight Eisenhower and the Republicans in 1953 they attempted to shift Christian Democracy's policies rightward. It has been pointed out however that the Eisenhower administration's policy was the logical conclusion of a reappraisal of American policy already undertaken by the Truman administration in its last phase after the outbreak of the Korean war. Sources of American displeasure, exemplified by the strong-arm tactics of ambassador Claire Booth Luce, were what was perceived as the countenance of communist activism, especially in the labour field, the state interventionist policy and a general disquiet over the inability of Italian industry to generate employment and development so that a social situation not conducive to the expansion of communist influence emerged. Simultaneously, US policy did not favour a Christian Democratic–Socialist coalition to be forged on the grounds that the Socialists, bound by neutralism, were no more than the fellow-travellers of the Communists. To the contrary, the Americans favoured an opening of the Christian Democracy to conservative elements that were thought credible from an anti-communist world view.

Nevertheless, the Americans were not very successful in influencing Italian politics to the direction favoured by ambassador Luce and the State Department.