Fiat 2000
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service	1918−1934
Used by	Kingdom of Italy
Production history
Manufacturer	Fiat
Produced	1918
No. built	2 prototypes[a]
Specifications
Mass	40,000 kg (88,000 lb)
Length	7.4 m (24 ft)
Width	3.1 m (10 ft)
Height	3.81 m (12.5 ft)
Crew	10
Armor	15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in)
Main armament	1 × 65 mm (2.6 in) gun
Secondary armament	7 × 6.5 mm MG
Engine	Fiat A12 Aero, 6 cylinder,gasoline 179 kW (240 hp)
Suspension	Bogie
Operational range	75 km (47 mi)
Maximum speed	6 km/h (3.7 mph)
References	[1]

TheFiat 2000 was an Italianheavy tank designed and produced byFiat duringWorld War I. Only two were built as it never entered serial production. It was heavily armed and armoured, but lacked mobility and after seeing limited service inLibya in 1919, it was largely replaced by locally builtRenault FT and later on,Fiat 3000 light tanks.

Italy was a latecomer in the development of tanks due the mountainous terrain in the border withAustria-Hungary and the lack of interest from the industry and the military. In 1916, the Italians ordered a FrenchSchneider tank for evaluation, which was delivered in 1917. In the same year the Italians formed a "tank assault office" to study the Allied first tank divisions. Spurred on by these developments, Italy's leading automotive companyFiat began working on a 40tonne design armed with a 65 mm (2.6 in) main gun and seven machine guns. Only two prototypes were completed before the FrenchRenault FT tank caught the attention of the Italian military.^[2]

Similar to in concept to the GermanA7V tank, the Fiat 2000 was a "mobile fortress" featuring heavy armour 20 mm (0.79 in) thick with the thinner sides having a thickness of 15 mm (0.59 in). The Fiat 2000 carried a 65 mm (2.6 in) gun as its main armament with a battery of seven 6.5 mm machine guns as secondary armament. The main gun was housed in a small spherical cupola on the roof of the tank. The interior was relatively spacious for tanks of the era and had a prominent cab for the driver. An airplane engine by Fiat provided power, while the hull concealed the suspension which had ten road wheels mounted in pairs on bogies. The vehicle was slow, but during tests, its ability to cross obstacles was deemed as adequate.^[1]

The sheer size of the vehicle, narrow tracks, excessive weight were criticized. The Italian Army concluded that the Fiat 2000 lacked the mobility necessary for operations in the north-eastern theater, and that the smaller and lighterFT-17 tank was better suited for the task, but by the time Italy finally managed to obtain a licence to build the French tank locally, the war already ended.^[3][b]

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A single Fiat 2000 and three FT-17s were sent toLibya in 1919 to fight local tribes,^[4] but the slow speed of the heavy tank made it unsuitable against the guerilla tactics used by the enemy. Only two prototypes were completed,^[5] while the FT-17 was locally built in Italy until the introduction of theFiat 3000 in 1921.^[6]

According to Foss, the Fiat 2000 remained in service until 1934.^[1]

A project aimed at building a full-sized working replica of the Fiat 2000 has been created as of March 2017. The project was started by volunteers, aiming to raise the necessary funds withcrowdfunding. From June 2017 to October 2018 the committee worked on remaking a complete set of blueprints, after which the construction of the replica started on 15 November 2018. The project was declared complete and was painted and running on its own power as of April 2020^[7]

• Fiat 3000

• Cappellano, Filippo; Battistelli, Pier Paolo (2012).Italian Light Tanks: 1919–45. Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN 978-1-78096-459-1.
• Foss, Christopher F; Fowler, Will; Gander, Terry J; Mann, Dr. Chris; Philpott, Dr. Bill; Stilwell, Alexander; Winchester, Jim (2003). Kilgallon, Conor; Catton, Charles (eds.).The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles: The comprehensive guide to over 900 armoured fighting vehicles from 1915 to the present day. Staplehurst: Spellmount.ISBN 978-1-86227-188-3.
• Smithsonian Institution (2017).Tank: The Definitive Visual History of Armored Vehicles. Penguin.ISBN 978-1-4654-6603-7.
• Walker, Ian W. (2012).Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts: Mussolini's Elite Armoured Divisions in North Africa. Crowood.ISBN 978-1-84797-473-0.

• The Advanced Fiat 2000 Heavy Tank(Dead link)
• History of the Italian Tank Corps
• Photogallery

• World War I tanks of Italy
• Heavy tanks
• Fiat armored vehicles

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