FASCISM explained

Quick Overview

Fascism is defined by a specific historical trajectory exemplified by Mussolini and Hitler, involving the glorification of violence against political enemies, the creation of narratives blaming outsiders for national humiliation, gaining mainstream acceptance from elites, and ultimately dismantling democracy from within to establish a totalitarian, expansionist state under a single charismatic leader.

Key Points: Fascism originated with Benito Mussolini's movement starting in 1919, founded by war veterans who glorified violence, especially against communism and socialism. Mussolini's path to power involved violence via his squadristi (Blackshirts) attacking socialists, gaining funding from rich elites terrified of communist revolution, and finally being invited into the democratic coalition by the Prime Minister. Hitler mirrored Mussolini's strategy, developing the Nazi Party after his failed 1922 Beer Hall Putsch, learning that violence alone was insufficient and that he needed mainstream acceptance from elites to destroy democracy from within. A key feature of German fascism involved a racial component, rooted in the invented myth of the 'Aryan race,' which provided a scapegoat in Jewish people, who were linked to communism and blamed for Germany's post-WWI humiliation. Both regimes dismantled democracy after gaining power through democratic means; Mussolini claimed he would not deviate from the Constitution but then abolished other parties and elections by 1925, while Hitler suspended the Constitution days after the Reichstag fire in 1933. Experts disagree on applying the term today: Federico Finchelstein argues it is not fascism without the full destruction of democracy (calling current leaders 'Wannabe Fascists'), while Roger Griffin prefers the term 'illiberal democracy' for regimes that distort democracy without fully wiping it out. William Robinson argues that the most crucial element for fascism's success is the triangulation where ultranationalists are accepted into the mainstream by elites who find them useful against anti-capitalist forces.