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Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


PL10790: From unification to facism: history of Italy 1815 - 1945

Click here for further information Credits: 6
Click here for further information Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Click here for further information Period: Semester 1
Click here for further information Assessment: CW33EX67
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites:
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
This unit has three main aims:
1) to provide students with an informed understanding of Italian economic, social, and political history from Unification to the collapse of fascism in the context of European and international developments.
2) to provide students with an appreciation of the main historiographical debates and to enable students to develop a critical/analytical approach to these major debates.
3) To enable students to develop critical and analytical skills for an understanding of the study of history with particular reference to Italian history. To make students familiar with essential political terminology in Italian.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit, students should:
1) have in-depth knowledge of the major issues and trends in Italian economy, society, politics and culture in these crucial decades;
2) be familiar with theories relating to these issues;
3) be familiar with the major debates concerning these issues;
4) be able to respond in an informed manner to questions about these different issues and how they relate to each other.

Skills:
Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this unit.

Content:
a) Nationhood. The difficulty of creating a sense of national identity in a country which was far from socially and culturally homogeneous, presenting marked regional and sub-regional - as well as social - divisions.
b) The political system and political ideologies. Italy before Unification. Political Liberalism and Nationalism. `Transformism'. The Giolittian system. The new Nationalism. The post-war crisis and the rise of Fascism. The Fascist dictatorship.
c) Social relations. The division between `legal Italy' and `real Italy'. Industrialisation and organised Labour. The rise of Catholics and socialists among industrial workers and the peasantry. Fascism's exploitation of existing divisions to its own advantage after World War I.
d) Economic development. From free trade to protectionism. Industrial take-off under the umbrella of the State. Fascist intervention in the economy. Advantages and disadvantages of this type of economic development.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

PL10790 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
  • UHPL-AYB16 : BA (hons) Italian (ab initio) and Politics (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB14 : BA (hons) Italian and Politics (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB08 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (French and ab initio Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB04 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (French and Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB06 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (German and ab initio Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB02 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (German and Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB20 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (Spanish and ab initio Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1
  • UHPL-AYB19 : BA (hons) Modern Languages and European Studies (Spanish and Italian) (Full-time with Year Abroad) - Year 1

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.