47

The Italian Government gave its hypocritical support to the French thesis, that the Algerian War was a domestic matter, because it feared the effects of a different policy. Its fears increased throughout the war. Up until March 1957, Italy supported France in Algeria because it feared that otherwise it would sabotage the process of European integration. In the following months, and up until May 1958, Italy feared that France, if abandoned by its allies, could either turn to the left or evolve into an authoritarian regime, to the detriment of its Western relations. With the return of General de Gaulle, Italy considered that France could opt for a liberal solution for Algeria only if it obtained satisfaction, in terms of prestige and solidarity, on the European and Atlantic levels.