Week 20: Fascism and Fascisms

Lecture Outline:

1. Impact of WW1 on rise of Fascisms

2. Rice of Fascism in Italy

3. Fascist movements elsewhere in Europe

4. Characteristics of Fascist Ideology

1. Impacts of WW1 on rise of Fascisms

• Crisis of demobilisation (Rise of Paramilitary groups because of failure to demobilize as paramilitary groups were comfortable. - Essential for the rise of Fascism

• Brutalisation thesis - (Can explain in context to why Some countries had fascism but it is not an explain all reason - other reasons need to be factored in)

• Glorification of violence

• Eroding role of parliaments (Parliaments were questioned if they were useful as they were seen as only essential for gearing the country for a total war (WW1). Post war role of parliament questioned)

“Trenchocracy” “The trenchoracy is the aristocracy of the trenches […] The brutal and bloody apprenticeship of the trenches will mean something. It will mean more courage, more faith, more tenacity” - Mussolini

• Fascism can not exist in a time of peace, it is always in preparation of conflict or violence

• Fascism can be very appealing as it can sidestep logic and speak directly to the individual’s emotion

2. Rice of Fascism in Italy

Founded Milan, 23 March 1919

Early Fascist Programme:

• Left-leaning but nationalist and includes:

  • Vote for women

  • Universal suffrage at 18

  • Minimum wage

  • Eight-hour workday

  • Tax on capital and war profits

  • Support for veterans

• 1919: Fascists win less than 2% of the vote in General Election and no seats

1919 National election results:

• Mussolini’s Fascist Revolutionary Party founders (Gets 0 votes, even 0 from native village)

• Its leftist and anti-clerical program called for higher capital-gains taxes and the ousting of the monarchy

• Most radicals were attracted to socialism whilst nationalism still had very little support

Spring 1920: Mussolini abandons left radicalism

• After the electoral failure, Mussolini moderates his program

• He abandons left radicalism and anti-capitalist rhetoric (speaking in a way to transcend class, speaking to the whole nation as a whole not 1 class etc.)

• Stresses instead ‘productivism’

• Still, his fascist party fails to gather momentum

“Biennio Rosso” (Red Two Years) 1920-22

1920-21 Squadrismo (Agrarian Facism)

• Local government unable to withstand wide peasant strikes for land reform

• Mussolini’s squadrismo employed to deal with the strikes

• Authorities tolerated squadrismo, even actively supported it

• Socialists lacked strategy, leadership and national coordination

• Mussolini establishes the Italian Fascist Party

• Fascism turns from grassroots movement to organized party

March on Rome, October 1922

• Fascists march on Rome to demand pa

3. Fascist movements elsewhere in Europe:

NSDAP (Germany)

Chemises vertes (Greenshirts France) 1936-37 Led by Henry Dorgères

Legion of Archangel Michael/Iron Guard (Romania)

• Importance of religions is unsual

Nyilaskeresztes Part (Arrow Cross Party, Hungary)

• Founded 1939, Controls Hungarian goverment October 1944-Arpil 1955

Spain: Francisco Franco in power from 1936 to 1975

Portugal: Estado Novo (“New State”) António de Oliveira Salazar 1932-1968

British Union of Fascists: Founded in 1932 by Oswald Mosley