PATRIZIA PREGAGLIA

A trent'anni dalla controversia Fischer: 

«Assalto al potere mondiale» e la storiografia italiana

N. 154

Summary — The present work deals with the polemic raised, at the beginning of the Sixties, by Fritz Fischer’s book, Griff nach der Weltmacht, about the role of Germany during the first world war.

After briefly reviewing Fischer’s theses, which caused the lively controversy in West Germany, an attempt is being made to find how his work has been considered in Italy. Articles on the subject appeared in Italian historical reviews have been critically examined. These articles (with the exception of Rosario Romeo’s review) give on Fischer’s book a rather uniform and positive judgment. To Fischer has been recognized the merit of having moved away from the interpretations of the traditional West Germany historiography and of having promoted a new approach to the study of the first world war period.

In the end Georg Iggers’s essay, describing the changes which occurred in the German historiography from the middle of the Sixties, has been given due consideration. The fact that the essay has been published in Italy can be regarded as a sign that Italy is still interested in the development of German historiography, partly due to Fischer’s controversy.