Fascism

The rise of fascist regimes in Europe occurred in a scenario marked by the economic depression resulting from the Crisis of 1929 and the growth of the left in the world political scene propitiated by the Russian Revolution.
Fascist regimes were seen by some groups in society – mainly by the middle class and the bourgeoisie, who wanted to avoid the advancement of socialism – as an alternative to Bolshevism and liberalism.
In Europe, only Great Britain, Finland, the Irish Free State, Sweden, and Switzerland did not have any form of a fascist government.
In 1938 there were 17 constitutional governments in the world.

General characteristics

According to Benito Mussolini- leader of fascism in Italy- the fascist state integrates, enhances, and synthesizes the values of society.
For this reason, nothing would have value. And no human or spiritual aspect would exist outside the State, which would not be fit only to ordain and protect, but to "remake" the character and faith of people. In this sense, cinema, music, theater, and sports were kept under control - so that culture became intrinsic to the fascist state.
Believing that the State can violate the Constitution and rights – such as freedom, equality, and property rights – fascism is characterized as an anti-liberal ideology, opposing the fundamental values of the French Revolution. In Mussolini's words, "freedom is a putrefaction corpse."
The fascist state is also undemocratic.
Since, according to its ideologues, it should not oscillate according to the will of the people. In this sense, democracy would generate only disorder.
Therefore, everyone should submit to the interests of the nation, which, in turn, should be ideologically cohesive, showing strength and unity. In addition, fascism advocates that there be harmony between capital and work, family, professional community, and nation.
For fascists, liberal institutions, such as the free press, parliamentarian, and the separation of powers, would be responsible for generating the contemporary crisis.
Another fundamental point of fascism is its anti-communist and anti-socialist character. Fascism repudiates elements of Marxist thought, such as class struggle, the search for economic equality, and internationalism, although fascism has become an international movement.
According to the Manifesto of the National Bloc of Spain of 1934, the ruinous era of class struggle would be coming to an end.
In addition, in his 1934 work Mein Kampf (My Struggle in Portuguese), Hitler stated that "Russian Bolshevism is the fruit of Jewish thought." Fascist corporatism consisted of the idea that the population should not organize itself into parties, independent unions, or any political or ideological divisions, as this would hinder the ideological cohesion of the state.
Hitler spoke of the "end of classes" in the fascist sense, according to the idea that the interest of employers and workers would be the same, and not in the communist sense, which advocated the end of the social classes. Society would be like a body, in which each has its place established hierarchically, hence the radical opposition to the equality of the left and the idea of class struggle.
In fascist discourse, the whole of society has the same interest, so ideas such as "antagonistic interests between employers and workers" would be naked inventions of foundation.
The idea of fascist "equality" would state that there are no conflicts inherent to the groups. The equality that paradoxically would live with a deep and authoritarian hierarchy.

Nationalism

Nationalism is another feature that is aligned with previous principles. In this sense, the nation would be a creation of the state and would give the people moral unity and collective will.

All that is national is seen as good, contrary to the danger of the non-national, represented by the figures of the communist, gypsy, black, Jew, homosexual and disabled person.
Each fascist organization had its symbol and absolute leader, to whom its followers devoted idolatry, considering it a kind of savior of the land.
The cult of the great leader's personality was a hallmark of fascism. To this end, regimes based on the fascist ideal were the first to clearly understand the power of the media and the need to monopolize them. Exacerbated militarism would be a way to strengthen the fascist state.
The primary objective of militarizing society was to impose, through education, the patterns of hierarchy. Thus, customs acquired by a generation of Europeans who spent four years in the war were transposed into civilian life.
At this point, it is interesting to remember that some fascist leaders continued to wear uniforms. Militarism, media control, the defense of the single party, and the spectacularization of the figure of a leader drive away fascism, for example, from absolutism, which depended on the mediations between the king and the nobility and expected from the subject an external submission but preserving various instances.

Summary

In summary, there are five fundamental characteristics of fascism: antiliberalism, anti-Marxism, social organicism, charismatic leadership, and denial of difference. Despite these characteristics in common, it is necessary to emphasize that the types of fascism have specificities related to movements and local realities.