Julius Evola and the Radical Right Spiritual Racism from Fascist Italy to the New Age

Preface: History’s Blindspots: Italian Fascism and the Memory of Antisemitism
1 Defying Modernity: Julius Evola and Traditionalism
2 Evola and his Allies: The Rise of Spiritual Racism
3 Defending the Race: The “Jewish Problem” in Fascist Italy
4 A United Aryan Front? Evola between Fascism and Nazism
5 Accomplices to Genocide: Spiritual Racism in Wartime
6 In the Ruins of Fascism: Evola and the Radical Right in the Postwar World
Epilogue: Understanding Evola: Esotericism and the Legacy of Fascism

Biography

Peter Staudenmaier is Associate Professor of History, Marquette University, USA. His previous books include Between Occultism and Nazism: Anthroposophy and the Politics of Race in the Fascist Era (2014) and The Politics of Nature in Nazi Germany: Environmental Ideals and the Myth of Blood and Soil (2026).

“In this book, Staudenmaier offers outstanding research, distinguished by its thorough reliability. The study is rigorous, grounded in extensive source work, and guided by a critical yet sober engagement with the evidence. Staudenmaier carefully contextualizes the material, tracing historical developments with clarity and illuminating present-day dynamics with sharp analytical precision. Accessible, precise, and comprehensive, this is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand both historical and current forms of far-right politics at a moment of renewed influence.”

Julian Strube, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Göttingen.

“This lucid and carefully researched book examines the intellectual and political impact of Julius Evola, with particular attention to his racism and antisemitism. Drawing on extensive archival research and close analysis of Evola’s original writings, Staudenmaier’s book clarifies the historical record, dismantles enduring myths and distortions, and opens new avenues for research. At a time when Evola has regained visibility in the global landscape of radical right politics, this book addresses worrying present-day concerns.”

Francesco Cassata, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Genoa.

“Grounded in meticulous historical scholarship, this book marks a watershed in the study of Julius Evola. Peter Staudenmaier’s research establishes once and for all that Evola’s deep ideological commitment to fascism and national socialism, including his virulent antisemitism and “spiritual racism,” were not marginal or irrelevant but perfectly central to what he believed esotericism and Traditionalism were all about. From now on, his many admirers will have to live with that fact.”

Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, University of Amsterdam.

“In his meticulously researched book, Peter Staudenmaier perceptively analyzes Evola’s career as a leading racist thinker during the Fascist regime and as a neofascist guru in the post-World War II era. He also offers intelligent speculations about why Evola’s influence continues to grow today.”

Richard Drake, Lucile Speer Research Chair in Politics and History, University of Montana