"Alleati per caso": il Colonnello House, la diplomazia americana e l'Italia durante la Grande Guerra

Edward Mandell House, commonly known by the honorary title of colonel, was for seven years President Wilson's most trusted friend and adviser. During the war years, foreign affairs were his main field of activity. At home and abroad he came to be looked upon as the main channel to and the spokesman of the democratic president. In Paris, during both the armistice and the peace negotiations, he became one of the main actors in Italian-American relations. But his involvement did not help to unravel the complex knot of differences between the two countries. On the contrary, the examination of House's behavior suggests that his mediation misled both Wilson and Italy's leaders. More generally, through the analysis of House's role in Italian-American relations, this article intends to shed light on the cultural background which made dialogue between the two countries so difficult.