Presents some 350 entries on chief characteristics of Italy's social, political, and cultural changes since the Napoleonic era, illustrating the rich complexity of Italy's evolution, especially in the 20th century. Special attention is paid to political figures, formative events, and intellectual movements. Includes a chronology. Gilbert is a professor in Italian studies at the University of Bath, England. Nilsson is retired from the Dickinson College Center for International Studies in Bologna, Italy. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Includes bibliographical references (p. 409-462).

Editor's Foreword / Jon Woronoff Table 1. Royal Heads of State Table 2. Heads of Government, 1861-1945 Table 3. Elections to the Chamber of Deputies, 1861-1924 Table 4. National Secretaries of the PNF Table 5. Presidents of the Republic, 1946-1997 Table 6. Italian Cabinets and Prime Ministers since 1945 Table 7. Elections to the Chamber of Deputies, 1946-1992 Table 8. Elections to the Senate, 1948-1992 Table 9. The General Election of March 27, 1994

Table 10. The General Election of April 21, 1996 Table 11. General Elections of March 27, 1994, and April 21, 1996 Table 12. Italian Resident Population by Census Return, 1861-1991 Table 13. Distribution of Working Population by Sector, 1861-1991 Table 14. Italian GNP at Constant 1938 Figures, 1861-1951 Table 15. Annual Economic Growth, 1952-1974: The Economic Miracle Table 16. The Steady Growth of a Mature Economy: The Italian Economy in the 1990s Table 17. Total School Enrollment, 1993-1994 Table 18. The European Union: 1996 Populations, Gross Domestic Product, and Approximate GDP per Capita.