Italian Economic History: From Unification to Today

Author: (Italian) Castro Novo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-07-01
Features: This book narrates the history of Italy's development from a backward agricultural nation into an advanced industrialized country. The book is divided into four parts: , from unification to the end of the 19th century, was the period when Italy prepared for and entered the "Industrial Revolution"; second, from the early 20th century to World War I, was the period when Italy transformed its traditional economic structure and joined the ranks of European industrialized nations; third, from the 1920s to World War II, was the period when Italian fascism implemented a controlled economy; fourth, from the post-World War II era to the present, was the period of Italy's economic reconstruction and the "Economic Miracle." When Italy was unified, its national income was only one-third of that of France and Germany, and one-quarter of that of Britain, but today it has surpassed Britain to become the world's fifth-largest economy. This book not only describes the development of industry, agriculture, foreign trade, and people's lives but also highlights the existing problems and contradictions in the process of development.