Until 1861 Italy was fragmented, so many Italian State carried its own foreign policy, guided by the powerful neighboring states.
From 1861 the policy of a united Italy was aimed at joining regions with by Italians living there - namely, the Pontifical region, Trentino, Istria, Dalmatia. Also, Italy has sought to create their own colonial empire. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, Italy annexed the Papal States. More focused on foreign policy on Germany, as he wished to gain a foothold in Tunisia, which is also claimed by France. However, because of the desire to join Istria and Trentino, Italy comes into conflict with Austria-Hungary in the late 19 century. - Early 20 century.
Since 1914 Italy has been negotiating with the Entente, consisting in an alliance with Germany, bargaining with them. As a result, in 1915, Allied countries promised to welcome the Italian territory, if she agrees to take the side of the Entente. And in 1915 Italy attacks Austria-Hungary. As a result of the Paris Peace Conference in 1918 Italy won Istria, the Trentino and a number of islands in the Adriatic Sea. After the First World War in Italy has a new rival - the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which became Yugoslavia in 1929.
After the Nazis came to power, Italy's foreign policy is extremely radical. The conflicts in Yugoslavia are valid until the end of World War II, the results of which Italy regained Dalmatia, Istria, Yugoslavia, Albania granted independence. After the Second World War, politics in Italy has been passive, the country has followed in line with NATO and the United States in particular. In a country dominated by the idea of the role of Italy as the role of "middle powers". In the late 80's, this ideology began to change in relation to events in neighboring Yugoslavia. Italy has begun to pay more attention to the processes postyugoslavskom space and in general in the Mediterranean.
Italy participated in the Balkan NATO operations in the Kosovo operation, and sent his soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It was after the crisis in Kosovo has been transformed the idea of "middle powers" in the idea of "the protagonists of peace" [1], ie a world in which Italy prominence. Later, Italy announced the Balkans a zone of its "responsibility" within NATO.
For foreign policy priorities of Italy include: the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the United States, European Union, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia.