Fascist regimes

1
Fascist regimes

• Spain
• Portugal
• Italy
• Germany
• Austria

2
Italy

• Fascist regime 1922-1943(1945)
• Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)
• March to Rome, October 1922
• Deposed August 1943
• Saló Republic 1943-1945

3
Germany

• NSDAP formed 1920
• Failed beer hall coup, November 1923
• Weak throughout 1920s
• Support grew in early 1930s depression
• Hitler becomes chancellor, January 1933
• Night of the Long Knives, June 1934

4
Austria

• Two warring nazi/fascist movements
• Pan-German Nazis (Austrian NSDAP)
• Authoritarian catholic Austro-fascists
  (Heimwehr)
• Austro-fascists in power 1932-1938 (NSDAP
  banned)
• Failed Nazi coup in July 1934
• Nazi takeover via Anschluss, March 1938

5
Other countries

• Britain
• British Union of Fascists (Oswald Mosley)
• Norway
• Nasjonal Samling (Vidkun Quisling)
• Romania
• Iron Guard (Corneliu Codreanu Horia Sima)
• Hungary
• Arrow Cross (Ferenc Szálasi)

6
Fascism and nazism difficult concepts, because

• They are incoherent ideologies
• Some ideological ingredients of fascism/nazism
  are not exclusive
• Fascist movements are not always open about their
  intentions
• They are emotive and controversial concepts

7
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Nationalism
• The core value of fascism. Many fascist
  movements formed due to national claims.
• The nation is based on EITHER
• Myth, destiny (fascism) OR
• Racial community (nazism)

8
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Organic perspective
• The nation is a natural creation, containing
  different parts, like a human body. The parts
  should be in state of harmonious equilibrium. The
  nation is not a voluntary association of free
  individuals. It is a living organism with its own
  life, goals and actions. The life of the nation
  is superior to its parts, i.e. its citizens.

9
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Racism
• Racial purity
• A hierarchy of races
• The future of the nation depends on its ability
  to preserve the race

10
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Authoritarianism
• Political parties seen as divisive
• Strong, personalised leadership
• Little regard for human rights or individual
  liberties
• Leadership cult
• The leader represents destiny of nation

11
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Anti-democracy
• Democracy and pluralism seen as corrupt and
  divisive
• Strong state
• Civil service, judiciary not independent of the
  state
• Strong military and police, trained to represent
  fascist ideology

12
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Anti-marxism
• Because it advocates class conflict
• Anti-capitalism
• Because it creates class conflict.
• German NSDAP very anti-capitalist in its early
  years, but this could be seen as an expression of
  anti-semitism

13
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Corporatism
• Alternative to democracy, seen as less divisive
• Representation based on economic sectors,
  reflecting the parts of the national organism
• Implemented in Italian fascism. Exists, but less
  prominent in nazism

14
Ingredients of fascist ideology

• Direct action
• Bravery, decisiveness and sacrifice are glorified
• Anti-intellectualism
• Sceptical of reflection, theorising and
  thoughtfulness

15
Fascism left or right?

• Nationalism usually considered right
• Opposed to class conflict, but not class
  differences
• Not unambiguously to the right in economic policy
• Fascists tend to dislike being called right
• Use of the word socialism (national socialism)
  but meaning what?
• Collectivist but the collective unit is
  different from socialism/marxism

16
Distinction fascism-nazism

• Nazism and Italian fascism could be seen as
  subsets of the broad concept of fascism, OR as
  separate ideologies.
• Nazism more emphasis on racism
• Fascism more emphasis on corporatism
• Nazism is anti-semitic. Italian fascism not
  anti-semitic from the beginning. Anti-semitic
  laws adopted in late 1930s.

17
Populism

• Definition, according to Hans-Georg Betz (1998)
• Structure of argumentation
• Faith in 'common sense and the common man
• Simple solutions
• Political style and strategy
• Claims to speak for ordinary people
• Clearly defined set of enemies
• Ideology
• Producer ethic based on individual effort
• Existing political system serves the few at the
  expense of the many
• Harmony of interests no class conflict

18
Other features of populism

• Sceptical of representative democracy (favours
  more referendums) and political parties
• The heartland (a mythical idealised existence,
  usually in the past)
• Based on personal, charismatic leadership
  usually not internally democratic

19
Is populism ideological?

• Populism can take many forms (left, right, green,
  agrarian et c.)
• Left populism does not believe in harmony of
  interests
• Populism in modern societies is best seen as an
  appeal to 'the people' against both the
  established structure of power and the dominant
  ideas and values of the society (Canovan, 1999
  3)