Italy and the United States

A Mission for the Unified Kingdom

Washington accepted Giuseppe Bertinatti's credentials for the Kingdom of Italy in April 1861, converting the existing Sardinian representation into a mission for the unified state. Italy subsequently raised Saverio Fava to ambassadorial rank in 1893. The republic, established in 1946, inherited this diplomatic relationship. [1] [2]

Protection of Italian migrants became a direct test of that relationship in 1891. After prisoners were killed by a mob in New Orleans, Fava demanded a federal assurance of proceedings against the perpetrators and acknowledgment of compensation for victims' families. James Blaine disputed Fava's account of the American response and argued that the government could not guarantee a criminal trial's outcome. Italy recalled Fava, but his departure note explicitly left Marquis Imperiali responsible for the legation's business. The dispute reduced representation while diplomatic correspondence continued. [3] [4]

From War to Reconstruction

Italy's declaration of war brought formal severance in December 1941. In October 1944, Washington decided to resume relations with the government in liberated Italy. Stettinius explained that the decision recognized its political support and cooperation against Germany, while questions of peace remained to be settled. Restoring diplomatic channels therefore preceded the final peace settlement. Ambassador Alexander Kirk reopened the American embassy in Rome when he presented credentials in January 1945. [1] [5] [6]

Reconstruction gave the restored exchange a practical program. On 28 June 1948, American ambassador James Clement Dunn and Italian foreign minister Carlo Sforza signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement that entered into force that day. Further notes amended it later that year. The agreement translated the wider European recovery effort into a bilateral arrangement administered by officials in Rome and Washington. [7]

Alliance, Sovereignty, and Mediterranean Diplomacy

Recovery led into a lasting security commitment. Foreign Minister Carlo Sforza signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington on 4 April 1949, bringing Italy into NATO as a founding member. Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi’s government faced strong Communist opposition to that choice. Membership placed the republic within the Western alliance and gave American and allied forces access to an important Mediterranean partner. [8]

Cooperation did not eliminate disputes over sovereignty. In October 1985, American aircraft intercepted the plane carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers and forced it to land at Sigonella. Italian and American forces confronted one another over custody. Prime Minister Bettino Craxi insisted that Italy exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed aboard the Italian ship; Italian courts subsequently tried the hijackers. Reagan and Craxi repaired relations through correspondence and a meeting later that month. [9]

A Wider Partnership in the Twenty First Century

By their July 2023 meeting, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were coordinating aid to Ukraine, Mediterranean security, and work in the Western Balkans. Their joint statement connected those concerns to energy supplies, migration, and food insecurity after Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain arrangement. It also set out cooperation on trade, critical minerals, climate, and artificial intelligence ahead of Italy’s 2024 G7 presidency. Space cooperation, university exchanges, and the protection of cultural heritage gave the relationship institutions beyond defence. [10]