Why did fascist parties emerge in so many European countries in the inter-war years Essay Example Essay Example

Why did fascist parties emerge in so many European countries in the inter-war years? Essay Example Paper Why did fascist parties emerge in so many European countries in the inter-war years Essay Introduction There is indeed no single reason for the rise of fascism in many of the European countries on the inter-war years period. For fascism to not merely emerge but flourish and succeed there were necessary cultural, political, social, economic and international factors which needed to exist and combine together. No single factor is of crucial importance by itself, only as it converged with other influences. It was in these particular circumstances that the emergence of fascism can be explained. After the First World War, there is no doubt that in almost all European states there were movements showing distinct fascist tendencies. With similar ideologies, they rejected the democratic ideas of parliament, and opposed the organized working class and ideas of socialism. They cried out for submission to discipline, authority and an important sense of community. These violently nationalistic movements were at first small sects; indeed some of them remained so. It was in Italy, in 1922 when the fascists seized power and after the 1929 Great Depression that in 1933 Hitler was able to establish the most brutal of fascist regimes; only in Italy and Germany did fascism have truly mass successful and powerful regimes, elsewhere they remained uninfluential movements. Culturally, the emergence of movements displaying fascist tendencies in the majority of European states in the inter-war years can be partly explained by the huge appeal and extensive ‘roots’ of fascist ideology. The fascist movements had much in common in their ideology, so much that they were indeed able to borrow from each other. Behind the stereotypical fascism defined by brutality and violence there lay a coherent body of thought, which had developed from intellectual movements from the late 19th century onwards. It resulted in a fascist ideology that was elusive, drawing from the right and from the left, which was neither capitalist nor communist, yet sought to create a radical ‘Third way.â €™ This strong body of ideas clarifies the ability of fascism to appeal to not merely violent activists, but intellectuals such as the philosophers Giovanni Gentile and Martin Heidegger. The strength of the body of ideas of fascism was crucial, for these ideas mattered: providing inspiration and shaping action. Part of the fascist ideology was the powerful myth of the nation and the race. This took the form of venerating the past: the dominant Roman Empire, the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, and also took the form of the aim of territorial expansion in the quest for a Greater Italy or a Greater Germany. Why did fascist parties emerge in so many European countries in the inter-war years? Essay Body Paragraphs The ‘roots’ of certain ideas of fascism can be traced back to various intellectual movements from the nineteenth century. The Enlightenment ushered in an era of modernity emphasizing liberal ideology, individualism, the constitutional state and the philosophy of laissez-faire. Fascism became the antithesis of all these ideas, a backlash to the ideas of ‘modernity.’ Yet fascism was both a product and reaction to the Enlightenment, for it gave rise to the radical ideas such as the thought that violence was sometimes necessary to purge the existing order and that the will of the people could be incorporated by a mass-based form of politics. There was also the emergence of ideas of reason and rationalist thought in the sciences, with the eugenics and Darwinism highlighting the need for the state to take on the role of selection. It has been perceived that segments of the middle-classes in some countries felt acutely threatened by the major economic, social and p olitical upheavals being generated by modernization, and so retreated into the ideology of radical nationalism. The appeal of fascism was broadened with the use of their key metaphor of rebirth, it was flexible enough to appeal to different varieties of nationalism, for essentially it had the advantage of hiding whether something was essentially old or new. Fascism developed essentially in the central European areas such as Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary, for they were most affected by these cultural and intellectual trends. Fascism had varying degrees of impact outside greater central Europe for elsewhere fascism was more successfully counter-balanced by opposing cultural influences. France was perhaps one of the most obvious areas for fascist movement to succeed, particularly as many of the concepts and intellectuals originated in France, yet in France the overall sense of crisis was less acute and other elements counterbalanced fascism. Once again, it is clear that for a fas cist movement to fully emerge and succeed all political, economic, cultural and social variables combined were vital. Politically, there are many factors which collectively give rise to the emrergence of fascism, including: the importance of national political traditions, the emergence of the ‘new’ states, divions within the present political system, the existence of the threat from the left and the necessity of efficient leadership and the existence of a fascist role model. It is crucial to study fascism within different national contexts, for national political traditions certainly played their part in molding the fascist movements that emerged. Political traditions in different nations could not only encourage but also defuse fascism. The French republican belief in Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and Britain’s emphasis on individual rights and constitutional, parliamentary government indeed failed to encourage fascism. The seventeenth century English Revolut ion was vital in consolidating parliamentary government, and the rise of Protestantism with its sense of rights and tolerance provided a foundation stone of national identity. Along with the emergence of elected local government after the 1880s, which encouraged the development of two mass political parties, Britain was not the most fertile ground for fascism to develop. Germany and Italy’s political history however, could be perceived to have encouraged Fascism. Germany had a strong Romantic tradition of nationalism, producing a longing for strong leadership and a sense of community. There was also the German tendency to define citizenship in terms of blood, which reinforced the growth of anti-Semitism. Italy was finally reunited as a state in 1870, before then she had been merely a geographical expression, yet she was still divided socially. It is clear that fascism was by all means far more successful in the comparatively new European states, formed in the 1860s and 1870s such as Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary. These states had late-developing political systems, and had failed to achieve empire and status. It was during the period that these newly established states were making the transition to a liberal democracy, often that they had just recently made this transition. It ensured that liberal democracy in these counties was indeed unconsolidated. These sufficient conditions seemed necessary for movements of fascism to emerge and flourish. Fragmentations, divisions or polarization within a country’s political system was also a clear requirement for fascism. Fascism certainly had far less impact in countries such as Britain, France and the Low Countries, which had stable party systems and hence remained largely immune to fascism. Generally fascist movements appeared to emerge in countries where there was a real or even perceived threat from the left. In Romania, even though the communist party had been effectively suppressed there was sti ll the presence of a communist threat, for she now shared a new border with the Soviet Union and hence anti-communism remained a significant factor in Romanian political affairs. Hungary was the only country outside the Soviet Union that had been briefly ruled by a revolutionary communist regime. This exacerbated anti-communion and anti-left ideas, the sting of the communist regime still taunted Hungarian politics for the next generation. Germany was the home of possibly the strongest communist party in Europe that was outside of the Soviet Union. Communism was indeed always perceived as a serious threat by many of the Germans. These conditions helped to create an atmosphere where only a radical non-leftist movement such as fascism could appeal, rally social discontent and flourish. The authoritarian principles of fascism necessitated strong, effective leadership for it to succeed. Indeed the more successful the movement, the more important the character and strength of the leader. This factor can help to illustrate why certain fascist movements were perhaps not more successful for not all of the fascist leaders in the inter-war years period were charismatic and efficient. Ferenc Szalasi of Hungary is possibly one of the best negative examples. A strong leader was certainly a factor in determining the success of the movement. There is no debate regarding the manipulative, calculating and efficient character of Hitler, and the tremendous frenzied impact he was known to have on the crowds at mass rallies. Fascist ideology certainly played upon the myth of the leader, who was indeed venerated like a Saint, he was God-given and had super-human qualities. The impact of the existence abroad of a fascist role model should certainly not be underestimated. Foreign examples of fascism indeed encouraged the majority of movements, except for those in Germany and Italy, which provided the role model. Only in Germany in Italy did fascist movements develop entirely on their own. This perhaps also explains the further success of the movements in Germany and Italy, for not only did they develop on their own but also it ensured that the roots of their fascist movements were more deeply embedded. We will write a custom essay sample on Why did fascist parties emerge in so many European countries in the inter-war years? 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