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Italian democracy may not be as fragile as many of its observers feared or imagined. It has lasted more than twice as long as the Fascist dictatorship that preceded it. Since the end of the Second World War, Italy's citizens and their political leaders have had to overcome massive problems of both state and society that their counterparts in more tranquil parts of Europe have not encountered. The particular problem to which this book is devoted is that of political terrorism. This book deals with a large-scale and protracted outbreak of domestic terrorism. It is concerned with terrorist violence in Italy committed by Italians against other Italians, the purpose of which was to influence the course of that country's political life.

Take an in-depth look at the history of terrorism throughout the world with this unique new series. Series editor Leonard Weinberg believes that looking at the history of terrorism gives a glimpse into the future. With both historical and contemporary coverage of this complex subject, this series will appeal to upper middle school and high school students. Also, this series has a strong tie in with the ""Global Connections"" portion of national curriculum standards for social studies and will also complement current events studies. Meets high school social studies standards

In recent years a good deal of concern has been expressed about the phenomenon of political terrorism in Italy. The mass media have directed our attention to spectacular acts of international terrorism committed on Italian soil by groups, largely from the Middle East, which have used the country as ateatroin which to stage their operations against targets of opportunity. Scholars and journalists have also drawn our attention to the problem of domestic terrorism. The kidnapping and assassination of the former Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978 may serve as the most dramatic example. It seems fair to say that much of this publicity has been focused on the Left. The attempts by various leftist groups, the Red Brigades (BR), Front Line (PL), Worker Autonomy (AO) and others, to use terrorist violence as a means of bringing about a Communist revolution was a source of apprehension in the Western world from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Allegations that the revolutionary groups were aided by the Soviets or other Warsaw Pact nations, as part of an effort to destabilize the Western democracies, did much to heighten the concern.

The role of women in the prolonged Italian experience of political terrorism is examined using biographical information (obtained from 2 major newspapers & court records) on 451 Fs active in terrorist groups between 1970 & 1984. Results indicate that the participation of women in terrorist activities differed from that of their M counterparts in many ways. Fs were more likely to become involved: (1) at a later chronological age & later in the cycle of terrorist activities, (2) as a result of family/romantic connections rather than prior experience in other political organizations, (3) in groups with different ideological perspectives & social ethos than those that attracted Ms, & (4) less often in leadership activities. It is argued that women's participation in political terrorism was spawned by a general radicalization of political life & the emphasis placed on women's issues by extreme leftist movements. 4 Tables. K. Hyatt

Achille Occhetto's proposal to transform the Italian Communist Party (PCI) into a postcommunist leftist party provides an opportunity to test Hirschman's theory of organizational loyalty. Party members were given the choices of remaining loyal to a reconstituted party, voicing approval or disapproval over this proposal, or exiting the party. The hypotheses that exit and voice varied together and that a particular kind of loyalty inhibited exist were tested using data from two party congressi di sezioni. The results clearly show exit from the party by `hardline' communists and to a Refounded Communist Party (RC). Additional tests of the relationship between the PCI and RC, as well as Italian election data, corroborate these findings and Hirschman's model.

Tests Albert Hirschman's (1970) theory of organizational loyalty, drawing on various data that measure the internal dynamics of the Italian Communist Party after Achille Occhetto's proposal to transform it into a postcommunist leftist party. According to Hirschman, members have two means of expressing their displeasure with an organization: openly via voice or abandonment (exit). Occhetto's proposal led to the departure of a dissident faction & the formation of a separate party. However, analysis of the voting preferences of ordinary party members during debates on this issue indicate that voice & exit were associated. Regions that voiced the most opposition to Occhetto's proposal also tended to be those in which party membership declined the most. Further, while loyalty to the organization was found to inhibit exit, this was not the case with respect to ideologically driven loyalty. It is concluded that Hirschman's theory needs to be reconceptualized to capture the intense feelings at work when political parties undergo radical change. 28 References. D. M. Smith