Italy and Nato expansion to the Balkans. An examination of realist theoretical frameworks

Contents/ Preface/ Introduction/ International relations theory and foreign policy studies in Italy / Introduction/ International relations studies in Italy/ Mapping international relations theory / Contending perspectives/ Realism / Liberalism and liberal-institutionalism / Neo-Marxist theories / Social-constructivism/ Future prospects/ Italian foreign and security policy during the Cold War: a theoretical evaluation/ Introduction/ Security policy during the Cold War: realism, socialconstructivism, and the Cold War/ Italy and the Cold War/ Italian foreign and security policy during the Cold War/ From the peace treaty to the 1948 elections / Membership of NATO / European integration / From the EEC to the compromesso storico / Italian foreign policy during the 1980s/ System influence or domestic factors' / The post-Cold War scenario: theoretical perspectives and empirical analysis/ Introduction/ Security policy after the Cold War/ Realism, liberalism, social-constructivism, and the end of the Cold War / Realism, constructivism, and the concept of national security after the Cold War/ Italy and the end of the Cold War/ The political and institutional transition / What foreign policy should Italy have'/ Italian foreign and security policy after the Cold War/ From the theory to the practice: Italy and the Yugoslav crisis / The confirmation of NATO / . NATO and the European security and defence identity / The foreign policy of the Freedom House government/ Domestic change, foreign policy continuity' / The expansion of NATO: theoretical perspectives, Italy, and the Balkans/ Introduction/ NATO expansion: the limitations of realism/ Italy and NATO expansion to the Balkans/ Italy and the exclusion of the Balkan candidates/ Italy, Russia and NATO expansion/ NATO expansion: the second round/ Between strategic interests and the spread of liberal democracy/ Conclusions. From neo-classical and defensive realism to a "thicker" version of realism / Bibliography/ Index of names