Civil resistance in Italy: its history to debates

Abstract

The history of civil resistance in Italy is almost unknown beyond its frontiers. The fiftieth anniversary of the Liberation in 1995 was the occasion to learn about a new historiography that emphasized the existence of an unarmed struggle against the German occupation that gave prominence to women and underlined the importance of fostering social awareness and cohesion to face the barbarity of war. This historiography made possible relativizing the key role given to armed struggle for the Liberation cause and paved the way for discussing the potential of an unarmed civil defense.