Vittorio Lattanzio

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Vittorio Lattanzio

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|10|31|df=y}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|10|31|1926|10|31|df=y}}

| nationality = Italian

| profession = Physician

| birth_place = Bari, Apulia, Italy

| party = Christian Democrat

| image = Vito Lattanzio.jpg

| death_place = Bari, Apulia, Italy

}}

Vittorio (Vito) Lattanzio (31 October 1926 – 31 October 2010) was an Italian Christian Democrat politician and physician.{{Cite web|title=Morto l'ex ministro Vito Lattanzio pilastro della Dc, aveva 84 anni - Bari - Repubblica.it|url=http://bari.repubblica.it/cronaca/2010/10/31/news/morto_l_ex_ministro_vito_lattanzio_pilastro_della_dc_aveva_84_anni-8615727/|access-date=2020-09-03|website=Bari - La Repubblica|date=31 October 2010 }}

Biography

Lattanzio was born on 31 October 1926 in Bari, Italy. He would get a degree in medicine and begin working as a physician before entering politics, where he would become a prominent member of the Christian Democrats; making a name for himself in the field of foreign policy.

= Political career =

He would first take the national stage by becoming the undersecretary of defence in the Andreotti II Cabinet.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3zMbAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Vito+Lattanzio%22|title=Italy; Documents and Notes|publisher=Centro di documentazione.|year=1973|language=en}}

Lattanzio served as minister of defence (1976–1977) in the Andreotti III Cabinet.{{Cite book|last=Lattanzio|first=Vittorio|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=obc745ockFgC|title=NATO Review|date=February 1977|publisher=NATO Information Service|editor-last=Jenner|editor-first=Peter|volume=25|chapter=Italian Security Policy and the North Atlantic Alliance}}{{Cite book|last=Tessmer|first=Arnold Lee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BzC4AAAAIAAJ|title=Politics of Compromise: NATO and AWACS|publisher=National Defense University Press|year=1988|isbn=9780160016813|location=University of California}} He would face harsh criticism for his role as minister of defence after convicted Nazi Herbert Kappler escaped from Italian custody in 1977 to find sanctuary in West Germany.{{Cite book|last1=Levi|first1=Primo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VxbSTfGI638C|title=The Black Hole of Auschwitz|last2=Belpoliti|first2=Marco|publisher=Polity|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7456-3240-7|editor-last=Belpoliti|editor-first=Marco|location=Italy}}{{Cite book|last1=Levi|first1=Primo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VxbSTfGI638C&pg=PA39|title=The Black Hole of Auschwitz|last2=Belpoliti|first2=Marco|publisher=Polity|isbn=978-0-7456-3240-7}} He would ultimately resign from this position due to the scandal, but go on to take different cabinet level positions.{{Cite web|last=Cicchino|first=Enzo|year=2000|title=Kappler's escape MEETING WITH Hon. Minister Vito Lattanzio|url=http://www.larchivio.com/xoom/vitolattanzio.htm|access-date=2020-09-02|website=www.larchivio.com}}{{Cite book|last=Levi|first=Primo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ge6YCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT755|title=The Complete Works of Primo Levi|date=2015-09-28|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=978-1-63149-206-8|editor-last=Goldstein|editor-first=Ann|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R9ExAQAAIAAJ|title=L'espresso|publisher=Editrice L'Espresso|year=1980|language=it}}

Following the kidnapping and death of fellow Apulia native Aldo Moro, Lattanzio effectively inherited the 'Apulian electoral fortune.'

He would go on to serve the cabinets of Prime Ministers Andreotti (1976–1978, 1989–1992) and De Mita (1988–89) as minister of transport, then minister of civil protection,{{Cite book|last1=Goebel|first1=Klaus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HYbsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PR4|title=New Emergencies, The: 9th International Seminar On Nuclear War|last2=Dardo|first2=Mauro D.|year=1992|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4553-85-8}} and lastly as minister of foreign trade.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gA2vwm6zo-IC |title=Daily Report: China|date=October 10, 2017|publisher=Foreign Broadcast Information Service|location=Ohio State University|language=en|orig-year=1992}}{{Cite book

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5vwJn7s6K9sC|title=Gazzetta ufficiale della Repubblica italiana. serie generale|date=21 May 2018|publisher=Istituto poligrafico e zecca dello Stato|volume=1|location=National Central Library of Rome|language=it|orig-year=1994}} While serving as Minister of Civil protection he would be criticized for inefficient handling of the department during the 1990 Augusta Earthquake.{{Cite web|last=Catenacci|first=V|title=IL DISSESTO GEOLOGICO E GEOAMBIENTALE IN ITALIA SICILIA|url=https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/pubblicazioni/periodici-tecnici/memorie-descrittive-della-carta-geologica-ditalia/memdes_47_cron_siciliane.pdf|access-date=3 September 2020|website=isprambiente.gov.it|publisher=Cronistorie|pages=261–263}} Lattanzio would actively participate in increasing trade with China while Minister of Foreign Trade. He also served in the Chamber of Deputies of Italy in Legislature III, Legislature IV, Legislature V, Legislature VI, Legislature VII, Legislature VIII, Legislature IX and Legislature X.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2jQwC47kV4MC|title=Daily Report: Western Europe|publisher=Foreign Broadcast Information Service|year=1978}}

Lattanzio would be placed under house arrest while being investigated on allegations of corruption and illicit party financing.{{Cite book|last=Giangrande|first=Antonio|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NaYB7woFxQC&pg=PA522|title=Bari e la Puglia: Quello Che non si Osa Dire|year=2020|publisher=Antonio Giangrande|language=it}}

He died in his hometown of Bari on his 84th birthday, and was survived by his daughter.