On Alcide de Gasperi’s Argumentative Defence of Trieste at the 1946 Paris Peace Conference

Abstract

This paper examines the speech that Alcide De Gasperi delivered at the 1946 Paris Peace Conference, focusing on the portion in which he dealt with “the problem of Trieste”. The analysis reveals that arguments from authority, pragmatic arguments and numerical arguments were selected to discredit the peace treaty provisions objectively. However, metaphors also stand out, suggesting that De Gasperi strategically merged elements of detached and engaged argumentative styles to foster the amendment of the treaty.