Spazio vitale
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Spazio vitale (Italian: [ˈspattsjo viˈtaːle], "living space") was the territorial expansionist concept of Italian Fascism. It was defined in universal terms as "that part of the globe over which extends either the vital requirements or expansionary impetus of a state with strong unitary organization which seeks to satisfy its needs by expanding beyond its national boundaries".[1]: 47 Spazio vitale was analogous to Nazi Germany's concept of Lebensraum.[1]: 46
The territorial extent of the Italian spazio vitale was to cover the Mediterranean as a whole (
Ideological characteristics
In the political philosophy of
As such, the ideological purpose of spazio vitale included the exportation of revolutionary fascism to replace the native political systems in order to civilise the conquered peoples into colonies of Fascist Italy.
The Fascist ideologist Giuseppe Bottai said that the historic mission of spazio vitale was like that of Ancient Rome (753 BC – AD 476), and that the New Rome—the Italian Empire—would "illuminate the world with their art, educate it with their knowledge, and give robust structure to their new territories with their administrative technique and ability." Once under Roman hegemonic rule, the subjugated peoples would be permitted to retain their native languages and cultures within the Italian Empire.[1]: 46
The Fascist regime declared that the achievement of Italy's spazio vitale would be divided into three stages: short-term, medium-term, and long-term.[1]: 47 The schedule for its achievement was accelerated due to the outbreak of World War II.[1]: 47
In Europe
In Europe, Italy's spazio vitale was to include southeastern Europe. Italy's short-term plans involved the expansion of its grande spazio in southeastern Europe that was to include several nations. In 1941, Italy defined these plans. Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were valuable to Italy because of their timber reserves, cattle herds, and their rich deposits of carbon, lignite, iron, copper, chrome, manganese, pyrites, antimony, and mercury. Serbia, upon being territorially "reduced to its effective proportions", would be within the spazio vitale of its mineral wealth, and in particular its copper deposits in Bor. Bulgaria was to be incorporated into the spazio vitale in the Mediterranean once it had acquired its "rightful" outlet to the Aegean Sea, and would be a major trading partner with Italy due to its rapeseed and soya production, wine production, and chrome deposits. Greece was to be included, whereupon Italy would assist in developing Greece's natural resources and develop a steel industry that had not been achieved; Greece would benefit from trade with Italy, and Italy in turn would gain access to these resources.[1]: 229–230
In Africa
In Africa, the spazio vitale was to include large territories in North and East Africa. Regarding modern-day Italy as the heir to the Roman Empire, the Fascist regime utilized the precedent of historical Roman control of these territories to make land claims in North Africa.[3] North Africa's coastline was regarded as of strategic importance to the Fascists' ambition of Mare Nostrum to allow Italy to dominate and control the Mediterranean Sea.[3]
The Fascist regime emphasized the strategic importance of political and economic connection of Europe with Africa, and at times referred to the two continents in unison as "Eurafrica".[3] As part of this position, the regime produced maps displaying hypothetical rail lines and hydroelectric grids extending from Africa to Italy through the Italian colony of Libya as proposals to more closely integrate Italy's African possessions with Italy itself.[3]
Art
The intense feeling of spazio vitale was echoed through artistic movements such as Futurism headed by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. It emphasised speed, technology, youth, and violence, and objects such as the car, the aeroplane, and the industrial city. It glorified modernity and aimed to liberate Italy from the weight of its past. It was largely a nationalistic movement and had flashy romantic visions of war and expansion thanks to the creation of new technology.[citation needed]
See also
- Glossary of Fascist Italy
- Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
- Italian Fascism
- Italian imperialism under Fascism
- Lebensraum
- Manifest destiny
- Mare Nostrum
References
- ^ Giuseppe Bottai voted for Mussolini's arrest in 1943; the Italian Social Republic condemned Bottai to death, during the Verona trial. He was able to escape and in 1944 enlisted in the French Foreign Legion to fight alongside the Allies against Nazi Germany.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-84515-1.
- ^ a b c Neville Wylie. European Neutrals and Non-Belligerents During the Second World War. Cambridge University Press, 2002. P134-135.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-275-99135-7.