Core Tenets Of Fascism

The first half of the twentieth century brought many new political ideologies to the forefront, among them fascism. Fascism was born out of Italy, and eventually took hold in Germany, Spain, and a handful of other countries. It fueled the Second World War, and was responsible for the deaths of millions, both the lives of the proponents and those fighting virulently against it. Fascism remains a relevant topic of exploration today, as it is important to understand how these ideas took hold, and the paths to power that were taken by its leaders.
The first use of the term fascist was in 1919 by Benito Mussolini. He used it to describe his political movement, which was a blend of "ultranationalism with hostility both to the left and to established …show more content…
Italy is the birthplace of the movement, so is the de facto definer of what constitutes fascism. Germany's Nazism is aligned in most ways with fascism, but adds anti-Semitism and racial purity (Passmore 871). However, the Nazi movement is easily defined as ultranationalist and totalitarian.
In Italy, fascism begins with the rise of Benito Mussolini. He first achieved political standing in 1912, when he became the leader of the "Italian Socialist Party’s radical wing". At the time, he was in favor of neutrality in the Great War, and his political leanings were socialist. Eventually he began to change these opinions, favoring nationalism and nation, over socialism and class (Passmore 873). Soon after, the Interventionists succeed and Italy entered the Great War.
By the end of the Great War in 1917, over six hundred thousand Italians were killed. The Italians had received some small annexations of Austria in the peace treaty at Versailles, but not nearly enough to sate the Nationalists. They felt that given how much Italy had sacrificed during the war, the rewards should be greater (Keefe). This produced great unrest at home. The country was now under an oppressive weight of war debt, and the duress caused by multiple general strikes and shortages of basic goods. The country was in a state of paralysis. In was on this stage that Benito Mussolini began to acquire his fascist following (Passmore …show more content…
This was a result of Mussolini altering election law to make a Fascist majority in parliament easier (Keefe). However, as their power increased the Fascists made a miscalculation in the murder of Socialist spokesman, Giacomo Matteotti. Mussolini himself was implicated in the crime. The Left demanded justice, and Mussolini responded with moderate concessions. This enraged the radical Fascists, and they demanded a "second revolution." Heading the call from them, Mussolini vowed to implement a truly pure fascist regime. The end result was that by the end of 1925 "political opposition was banned, freedom of the press ceased, and election of local governments ended" (Passmore