Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy that was active from 1943 to 1994. The party was founded during World War II as the ideal successor of the Popolari of the Interwar period, and it was Catholic-inspired, centrist, and catch-all, compromising both right-wing and left-wing political factions. From 1944 to 1994, the party played a dominant role in Italian politics, and it was the largest party in Parliament from 1946 to 1994.
Christian Democracy originally supported liberal-conservative governments, but it later moved to center-left coalitions, at times partnering with the Italian Socialist Party in Parliament. Under Alcide de Gasperi, the DC carried out major land reforms in Italy's poorer regions, and it also passed laws safeguarding employees from exploitation, established a national health service, and initiated low-cost housing in Italy's major cities; the DC effectively held left-wing (Catholic-inspired) economic policies and social conservative policies. In fact, from 1976 to 1979, the DC governed with the external support of the Italian Communist Party through the "Historic Compromise", with Aldo Moro inspiring the compromise. However, following Moro's murder by the communist Red Brigades in 1978 and the rise of the Italian Republican Party to power in 1981, the party was forced into a five-party coalition with the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian Democratic Socialist Party, the Republican Party, and the Italian Liberal Party. The Pentapartito coalition governed Italy almost continuously into the 1980s, and, while the economy made good progress, Italy struggled with a massive budget deficit. In 1994, the party was destroyed by the Tangentopoli scandal, and it was succeeded by a refounded Popolari, the Christian Democratic Center, the United Christian Democrats, and the Union of the Center. Former Christian Democrats would also join other parties such as the center-right Forza Italia or the center-left Democratic Party.
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