Fascism

1. Fascism

2. The Problems Involved in the study of Fascism • Fascism is a synonym for evil • Fascism not as well articulated as Marxism Leninism • Fascism confused with actions of particular states • Few quality academic studies of fascism • Pragmatic form of extreme nationalism • Celebrates violent irrational action • Leadership, and therefore, biography is key to understanding fascism

3. The Problems Involved in the study of Fascism - Continued • The twentieth century as the century of fascism • Modern Revolutions resemble the principles of fascism more than the principles of Marx and Engels • Differentiating between Fascism and National Socialism • Continued applicability of fascist category to radical Islamic ideology

4. Evolution of the Doctrine • Mussolini’s transformations influenced fascist ideology • Emergence of an ethical dimension to the conception of the state • Social Darwinism

5. Benito Mussolini • Born 1883 – Father was a blacksmith with radical political ideas • Becomes elementary school teacher and active in socialist circles culminating in several terms in prison and election as editor of socialist paper Avanti • Mussolini was a Marxist rather close to Leninist perspective that embraced violence – contempt for apathetic masses and emphasis on elite leadership is first deviation from classical Marxist thought. Gaetano Mosca and Vilfredo Pareto

6. Benito Mussolini • Emphasized the role of human will in creating history – voluntarism – Writings of Friedrich Nietzsche • Interest in Myth in human affairs – Georges Sorel

7. Characteristics of Fascism: The Nation State, Anti-Liberalism, Anti-Bolshevism, Corporativism • The Nation-State – The custodian and the transmitter of the spirit of the people • Anti-Liberalism – Anti-individualistic, the Fascist conception of life stresses the importance of the state and accepts the individual only insofar as his interests coincide with those of the State. • Anti-Bolshevism – Against the classes dividing and weakening the state though willing to use state intervention to pursue autarky • Corporatism – a disciplined and controlled economy for promoting wealth, political power, and welfare of Italian people – remove conflict from the economic sector

8. National Goals, Elitism, and Leadership • National goals – fascism emphasized action – force, violent action as a sign of health – Social Darwinism for states • Anti-intellectualism and emotional appeal primary mode of communication between leaders and the masses • The leader discovers the general will and is the personification of the people

9. Fascism and Race • Giovanni Gentile described national socialist racial theory as simplistic and unproven • German/Italian alliance leads to anti-Semitic legislation in Italy, but laws are not applied rigorously • Italian race understood more as the Italian nation and included Jews who served the state

10. Fascist Traits • Nation is fundamental unit of analysis of fascist doctrine • Anti-democratic, but willing to borrow from liberalism for its own purposes • Anti-socialistic, but utilized socialist measures in the economy