De Gasperi, Alcide (älchē`dā dā gä`spārē), 1881–1954, Italian premier and a founder of the Christian Democratic party. Born in the Trentino—then under Austria—he represented Italian irredentists in the Austrian parliament and after the transfer of the Trentino to Italy at the end of World War I served (1921–24) as a Catholic deputy in the Italian parliament. After 16 months of imprisonment as an anti-Fascist, De Gasperi received (1931) a position at the Vatican Library; there he organized during World War II the center-right Christian Democratic party. A successor in part to Luigi Sturzo's Popular party, the moderately conservative group derived its program from the social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. After the Italian surrender in 1943 he held several cabinet posts. From 1945 to 1953 he was premier of eight successive coalition cabinets dominated by the Christian Democrats, and as such was the main architect of Italy's initial postwar, post-Fascist recovery. In 1947, De Gasperi excluded the Communists and left-wing Socialists from the government, and in 1948 his party won a major electoral victory. De Gasperi inaugurated land reform, championed close cooperation with the United States, and led Italy into the European Recovery Program and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

De Gasperi, Alcide

(born April 3, 1881, Pieve Tesino, near Trento, Tyrol, Austria-Hungary—died Aug. 19, 1954, Sella di Valsugana, Italy) Italian prime minister (1945–53). He served in the Austrian parliament (1911–19) and sought the annexation of his native region of Tyrol to Italy. He later served in the Italian parliament (1921–27) as one of the founders of the Italian Popular Party. After 16 months' imprisonment as an antifascist, he became a Vatican librarian in 1929. In World War II he was active in the Resistance, and after the fall of the fascist regime he became leader of the newly formed Christian Democratic Party. As prime minister (1945–53), he enacted a new constitution, instituted land reform, and oversaw Italy's postwar economic reconstruction. Under his leadership Italy joined NATO, and he helped organize the Council of Europe and the European Coal and Steel Community.