page_title: Spazio vitale
section_title: Ideological characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: Spazio vitale / Ideological characteristics
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Foto di Giuseppe Bottai del 1937
context_page_description: Spazio vitale 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". It was analogous to the German Nazi Party's concept of Lebensraum.
  The territorial extent of the Italian spazio vitale was to cover the Mediterranean as a whole and Northern Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. It was to be divided into piccolo spazio, which was to be inhabited only by Italians, and grande spazio inhabited by other nations to be under the Italian sphere of influence. The nations in the grande spazio would be subjected to Italian rule and protection, but were to keep their own languages and cultures. Fascist ideologist Giuseppe Bottai likened this historic mission to the deeds of the ancient Romans, stating that the new Italians will "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".
context_section_description: In the political philosophy of Italian Fascism, the concept of spazio vitale, which justified the colonial expansion of Italy, corresponded to the Lebensraum concept of the National Socialists in Germany. Yet, the colonial imperialism inherent to the spazio vitale proposed by Benito Mussolini did not require the genocide of the subjugated nations, but presented the Italian race as a "custodian and bearer of superior civilization".
  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 rule and domination, the subjugated peoples would be permitted to retain their native languages and cultures within the Italian Empire.
  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. The schedule for its achievement was accelerated due to the outbreak of World War II.
caption: To the Fascist ideologist Giuseppe Bottai, spazio vitale justified Italian colonialism in Europe and Africa.
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