The Italian Communist Party, Wars and Revolutions

Abstract

Following the path dependence principle, the article describes the emergence of communism and the role played by wars and revolutions as unrepeatable and extraordinary catalyst factors. According to this view, communist parties can be considered institutions that outlasted the situations that created them and that, to survive, have been constantly forced to adapt to new circumstances such as fascism, the cold war or the clash of ussr. In this framework, the article describes the peculiar path of the Italian Communist Party (pci).