“FASCISM”

SUBMITTED TOWARDS THE FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE TITLED -

WORLD HISTORY

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Priya Darshini Shaurya Shukla(2160)

Faculty, (World History) 2nd year 1st semester

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The views, opinions, statements and conclusions contained in this project are those of the
author, and also represent official statements or opinions. Any errors or misstatements in this
project are exclusively those of the author. These guidelines are provided by the World
History faculty DR. Priya Darshini in an effort to provide better understanding of and the
implication process.. They simplify and broadly generalize complex issues of History. II
appreciate the assistance of my friends (LL.B’s), who provided the initial drafts of the
materials in this assignment.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the project is to present a detailed study of the topic NON ALIGN MOVEMENT
through decisions and suggestions and different writings. The aim has been to come to a
conclusion very much indigenous.

Scope and Limitations:

Though the topic is NON ALIGN MOVEMENT an immense project and pages can be
written over the topic but because of certain restrictions and limitations we might not have
dealt with the topic in great detail. Cause for calling conference is dealt in detail.

Sources of Data

The following secondary sources of data have been used in the project-

1. Books
2. Website

Method of Writing and Mode of Citation:

The method of writing followed in the course of this research paper is primarily analytical.
The researcher has followed Uniform method of citation throughout the course of this
research paper.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................... 05

2. Factors for the rise of Fascism and Nazism........................................ 05

3. Principles....................................................................................................... 08

4. Characteristics......................................................................................09

5. Criticism..................................................................................................10

6. CONCLUSION.....................................................................................11

7. BILIOGRAPHY....................................................................................12

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INTRODUCTION

Historians, political scientists and other scholars have long debated the exact nature of
fascism. Each form of fascism is distinct, leaving many definitions too wide or narrow. Since
the 1990s, scholars including Stanley Payne, Roger Eatwell, Roger Griffin and Robert O.
Paxton have been gathering a rough consensus on the ideology's core tenets.
For Griffin, fascism is "a genuinely revolutionary, trans-class form of anti-liberal, and in the
last analysis, anti-conservative nationalism" built on a complex range of theoretical and
cultural influences. He distinguishes an inter-war period in which it manifested itself in elite-
led but populist "armed party" politics opposing socialism and liberalism and promising
radical politics to rescue the nation from decadence.
Paxton sees fascism as "obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or
victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity". In Paxton's
interpretation, fascists are "committed nationalist militants", working uneasily alongside
traditional elites and abandoning democratic liberties in pursuit of "internal cleansing" or
territorial expansion.
One common definition of fascism focuses on three groups of ideas: the Fascist Negations of
anti-liberalism, anti-communism and anti-conservatism; nationalist, authoritarian goals for
the creation of a regulated economic structure to transform social relations within a modern,
self-determined culture; a political aesthetic using romantic symbolism, mass mobilisation, a
positive view of violence, promotion of masculinity and youth and charismatic leadership1.

Factors for the rise of Fascism and Nazism

Many factors exist that led to the rise of dictatorships after WWI. The countries were all in
extreme situations, both economically and politically, that became a fertile ground for future
dictators to seize control. Factors like dissatisfaction with the treaty of Versailles, economic
and financial crisis, political instability and inefficient government and rise of charismatic
leaders like Hitler and Mussolini were major factors for the rise of fascism and in Nazism in
Italy and Germany respectively.

1
https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism

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  Treaty of Versailles

even though Italy had joined the war on the side of the allies among the Italians the
feeling was that they had won the war but lost the peace. Italy hard much to contribute
to the success of the allies in the war but Italy could have no valuable addition to her
territory. when it came to dividing the spoils of war, her allies deserted her.

Germany was forced to cede large chunks of her territory to France, Belgium, Poland
and Denmark. Her overseas possessions (colonies) were divided by the Allies in the
War among themselves. Germany was forced to pay heavy reparations to the tune of
33 billion dollars and the total strength of the German army was fixed at one lakh.
The terms of this treaty were greatly resented by the Germans who eagerly looked for
an opportunity to avenge the same. These sentiments were exploited by Hitler who
openly encouraged the Germans to consign the Treaty of Versailles into the waste –
paper basket, to rebuild the empire of Germany, and to recapture the lost colonies2.

 Economic Factors

economic condition in Italy after the war were very bad war debts and budget deficits
caused lots of difficulty. the salaried employees the farmers and industrial workers
felt The Pinch of post war inflation the young men found all channels of employment
closed to them. There were agrarian riots and strikes in the factories Germany had to
pay a huge sum of nearly 33 billion dollars as war indemnity. The financial crisis
forced Germany to borrow recklessly. German economy combined a high rate of
inflation with a high level of unemployment. Hitler assured the Germans that if they
would abide by the Nazi ideology their economic misery would come to an end. It
was owing to this factor that the nazi party had its ranks swollen by new recruits
especially youths.

 Political Instability And Inefficient Governments

the post war democratic governments were weak they could not respond properly to
the needs and aspirations of the people the governments under Nitti and Giolitti in
Italy was unable to control the industrial and agrarian disorders popular
2
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles-1

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 discontentment took the form of strikes and riots. In Germany the constituent
assembly which made at Weimar in 1919 established a liberal democratic government
but from the very beginning Germany was faced with a problem of of unstable
governments between 1919 and 1933 there were as many as 21 ministers headed by
12 chancellors (Prime Ministers). The people therefore were looking for a strong
government with a firmer economic program.

 Charismatic leaders Hitler and Mussolini

Mussolini and Hitler were able to attract influence and inspire people by their
personnel qualities. In Italy, Benito Mussolini was called the duce which means
leader. he formed the facist party in March 1919 which attracted people from all
sections of the society which slowly gained power. Benito Mussolini formed the
government on 30th October 1922 . They wore Black uniform and hence came to be
known as Black-Shirts.

The germans adored Hitler as their saviour. He adopted the designation of ‘fuehrer’,
i.e., the leader. He formed the nationalist social party(Nazi party) in 1919. Its
members wore brown shirts.the first nazi government was formed on 30th January
1933. Hitler, a shrewd politician and a brave soldier, was a gifted orator who
captivated the Germans by his emotional speeches. The Germans nourished a feeling
of resentment against the humiliating and insulting behaviour meted out to them by
the Allies and wanted to avenge the same. Hitler fully exploited the sentiments of the
Germans and openly encouraged them to consign the Treaty of Versailles into the
waste – paper basket, rebuild the German Empire and to recapture the lost colonies.
Hitler assured the Germans that if they would abide by the Nazi ideology their
economic misery would come to an end. This greatly appealed to the German people
and they extended full support to Hitler and his Nazi party

Establishment of fascist government in Italy in 1922

Benito Mussolini a former socialist and journalist by profession, stopped calling himself a
formed the facist party in march 1919 which attracted people from all sections of the society.
They wore a black uniform and hence came to be known as black shirts. They adopted the
‘fasces’ as their symbol. Violence was the creed of these volunteers. They took over factories

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municipalities and police Stations where were they could In 1922, Benito Mussolini and the
Fascist Party rose to power in Italy. On 28 October 1922 the
fascist bands marched on Rome. The very next day the king invited to Mussolini to form the
government which needed on 30th October within a short time Mussolini became the
absolute master of Italy. Victor was still the king but Mussolini became the real ruler of Italy.
By 1935, Mussolini was able to make himself the dictator of Italy and transformed the
country into a police state3.

Principles4:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism -

Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and
other paraphernalia.
Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights -

Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are
persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people
tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations,
long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - 

The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived
common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists,
terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - 

Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate
amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military
service are glamorized.

3
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-rise-of-fascism/#:~:text=Beginning
%20in%201922%2C%20Fascist%20paramilitaries,appointed%20Prime%20Minister%20of%20Italy.

4
https://www.toppr.com/ask/question/state-underlying-principles-of-fascism/

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5. Rampant Sexism -
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under
fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high,
as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media - 

Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is
indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and
executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - 

Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are intertwined -

Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to
manipulate
public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders,
even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's
policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is protected - 

The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the
government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government
relationship and power elite.

10. Labour Power is suppressed - 

Because the organizing power of labour is the only real threat to a fascist government, labour
unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - 

Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia.
It is not uncommon on for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested.
Free __expression in the arts is openly
attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

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12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - 
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The
people are often willing to
overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is
often a national
police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - 

Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint
each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their
friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and
even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - 

Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are
manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use
of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of
the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control
elections.

Characteristics:

1.Militant nationalism, proclaiming the racial and cultural superiority of the dominant ethnic
group and asserting that group's inherent right to a special dominant position over other
peoples in both the domestic and the international order.

2. The adulation of a single charismatic national leader said to possess near superhuman
abilities and to be the truest representation of the ideals of the national culture, whose will,
should therefore literally be law.

3. Emphasis on the absolute necessity of complete national unity, which is said to require a
very powerful and disciplined state organization (especially an extensive secret police and
censorship apparatus), unlimited by constitutional restrictions or legal requirements and
under the absolute domination of the leader and his political movement or party.

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4.Militant anti-Communism coupled with the belief in an extreme and imminent threat to
national security from powerful and determined Communist forces both inside and outside
the country.

5.Contempt for democratic socialism, democratic capitalism, liberalism, and all forms of
individualism as weak, degenerate, divisive and ineffective ideologies leading only to
mediocrity or national suicide.

6.Glorification of physical strength, fanatical personal loyalty to the leader, and general
combat-readiness as the ultimate personal virtues.

7. A sophisticated apparatus for systematically propagandizing the population into accepting

these values and ideas through skilled manipulation of the mass media, which are totally
monopolized by the regime once the movement comes to power.

8. A propensity toward pursuing a militaristic and aggressive foreign policy.

9. Strict regulation and control of the economy by the regime through some form of
corporatist economic planning in which the legal forms of private ownership of industry are
nominally preserved but in which both workers and capitalists are obliged to submit their
plans and objectives to the most detailed state regulation and extensive wage and price
controls, which are designed to insure the priority of the political leadership's objectives
over the private economic interests of the citizenry. Therefore under fascism most of the more
important markets are allowed to operate only in a non-competitive, cartelized, and
governmentally "rigged" fashion.

Criticism:
Fascism has been widely criticized since the end of World War II for a variety of reasons.
Aside from criticism of fascist ideology, there has been debate as to its nature and even
whether it is a coherent ideology. One view is that fascism is not a real ideology at all; this
view claims that fascism is a form of irrational and opportunistic politics only committed to
nihilistic violence that has no logical or rational definition, and that its official ideological
components are only tools of propaganda and are often contradictory.
Marxists accuse fascism of being a capitalist tyranny that attempts to
make conservative reaction popular to the working class but in practice represses the working
class. Marxist-Leninist interpretations condemn fascism as a "political offensive of the

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[entire] bourgeoisie against the working class"; a servant of "big business", "large
landowners", and agrarian and industrialist capitalism. Lenin claimed that "Fascism is
capitalism in decay."
Hungarian communist Djula Sas in 1923 made a more detailed critique of fascism, in which
he noted that, six months after rising to power, Italian Fascists had dismantled working-class
organizations, significantly reduced wages in certain areas, abolished taxes on inheritance
and war profits, and emphasized the need for "national production". According to Sas, these
actions clearly indicated that fascism was in the service of industrial capitalism.
Marxist interpretations of fascism are typically based on a developmental approach. The
Marxist developmental perspective on fascism has been criticized for failing to explain why
fascism has not appeared in developing countries. Furthermore, Marxist interpretations of
fascism have categorized multiple movements with significant differences to fascism as
simply "fascist". As a result, even some communist regimes have been declared "fascist"
under such interpretations, including those of Cuba under Fidel Castro and Vietnam under Ho
Chi Minh.

Conclusion

Thus we conclude that the rise of dictatorship in Europe had a devastating effect on the
economic, social and political affairs of the land. The dictators possessed absolute power and
control over the country. The rise of dictatorships caused the violation of many terms of the
treaty of Versailles. The dictators believed in that the world could not be trusted with its
freedom and has to be lead with by people belonging to a superior race, where the rulers
command was the law. Both the movements did not believe in democracy i.e., were anti
democratic in nature. They also were intensly nationalistic anti communist in nature too.
They believed in having a powerful dictator both total in character and ruling for unlimited
time. Both the movements were anti intellectualist in nature i.e., they sought to create a
society based on ‘myth’. The dictators believed in that the world could not be trusted with its
freedom and has to be lead with by people belonging to a superior race, where the rulers
command was the law and the leader is always right. too We also come to know what an
important role the opposition plays in the parliamentary system as it helps in checking over
the executive. In a dictatorship, the opposition is crushed, thus protesting against the dictator
and keeping check on him becomes impossible. Hitler and Mussolini assured the people
that if they would abide by Hitler assured the Germans that if they would abide by the Nazi

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and fascist ideology their economic misery would come to an end. The weak corrupt and
inefficient governments ruling at that time also lead to the rise of dictatorship.

Thus, these leaders rose to absolute power creating dictatorships that greatly influenced
history using political, economic, and social unrest as their stepping stones.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

 The anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton

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