Tornare protagonisti nel Levante : la politica economico commerciale dell'Italia verso la Grecia nell'immediato Secondo dopoguerra, tra ambizioni e limiti

Immediately after the signature of the Peace Treaty (10 February 1947), theItalian Foreign Minister, Carlo Sforza, undertook a new Mediterranean policy forhis country, in sharp contrast to the old Fascist politics of domination. After her defeatin the WWII, in fact, Italy strove to return to play a leading role into EasternMediterranean Sea promoting her friendship towards the States present in this area,where the Cold War was starting. With this aim, Italian diplomacy worked to fosteracommercial and economic cooperation with other States, such as Greece and Turkey,reaching the signature of the Treaties of Friendship in Sanremo (5 November 1948)and in Rome (24 March 1950).This essay deals with the Greek particular case and the commercial and economicpolicy lead by Italy towards a still resentful Nation after the Italian aggression (28October 1940). However, at the same time, the Greek Government, engaged in theCivil War against the pro-communist militants of the Hellenic National LiberationFront, needed a new friendship with the Italian Republic in order to let Greece comeout from the isolation in the Balkan area. Not just in a geopolitical perspective, butalso in an economic one, trying to break partially the monopoly of Great Britain andUSA: in fact, tightening a friendship with the Italians would have meant to give tothe Greeks a new commercial partner, exporting to them for example tobacco, themost important production of the country. Actually, the Government of Athens desired to have Italy as the main importingmarket of the Hellenic tobacco, replacing so Germany in this role after her defeat inthe war. Despite Palazzo Chigi and Italian diplomacy were very interested in thisperspective, State Monopoly and the Foreign Commerce Ministry affirmed the unsustainabilityfor Italy to import large volumes of tobacco. So, put aside the tobacco, theItalian Foreign Office attempted to penetrate economically into Greece through the warreparations; more precisely, Italy would have paid to Greece 105 million dollars (Art.74 -Italian Peace Treaty) taking part to the reconstruction of this country, specifically in the field of his electrification. The Economic Collaboration Agreement signed inRome on 31 August 1949 between Italy and Greece assigned so Vodas and Ladonrivers electrification to Italian Companies. However, the Italian Companies shouldhave necessarily worked within the limits imposed by the Americans, having becomethe USA the true hegemonic Power in Greece after the British Empire withdrawalfrom Mediterranean Sea and the launch of the Truman Doctrine.