Fascism: A Very Short IntroductionOUP Oxford, 2002 M08 22 - 176 pages What is fascism? Is it revolutionary? Or is it reactionary? This book argues that it is both: fascism unleashes violence against the left and ethnic minorities, but also condemns the bourgeoisie for its 'softness'. Kevin Passmore opens his book with a series of 'scenes from fascist life' - a secret meeting of the Romanian Iron Guard; Mussolini meeting the king of Italy; a rally of Hungarian doctors calling for restrictions on the number of Jews entering the profession; the shooting of 1800 Jews by Reserve Police Battalion 101 at Jozefow in Poland in July 1942. He then looks at the paradoxes of fascism through its origins in the political and social crisis of the late nineteenth century, the history of fascist movements and regimes in Italy and Germany, and the fortunes of 'failed' fascist movements in Romania, Hungary and Spain. He shows how fascism used and uses propaganda and popular culture to propagate itself and how it exported its ideas outside Europe, through Nazi and Spanish post-war escape routes to Latin America, for instance. The book concludes with a discussion of the recent revival of the extreme right in Austria, Italy, France, and Russia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
Contents
Fascism before fascism? | |
making history with the fist | |
the racial state | |
Fascisms and conservatisms in the early 20th century | |
Phoenix from the ashes? | |
Fascism nation and race | |
Fascism and gender | |
Fascism and class | |
Fascism and | |
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academics activists Aigues-Mortes antifascism antisemitism appeal army authoritarian conservatives Barrès big business bourgeois capitalism capitalists Catholic Chapter Codreanu Communists concept conservatism contemporary corporatism corporatist countries crisis Croix de feu defend definition democracy democratic dominant Eastern economic elections electoral elites espoused established ethnic minorities European extreme right Falange fascist fascist movements favour fear features of fascism feminism feminists France French gender German groups Hitler ideas ideology immigrants interests Italian Jewish Jews labour leader left-wing Legion liberal Marxists Maurice Barrès mobilized nation modern movements and regimes Mussolini national community national-populism national-populists nationalist Nazis Nazism organizations paramilitary Parti social français peasantry peasants petty bourgeoisie political popular population populist programme race racial racism radical right reactionary regime’s represented revolution right-wing Romanian Russian social socialists society struggle totalitarian trade unions tradition ultranationalism ultranationalist undermine vote wanted Weberian welfare whilst women workers