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    Fascism

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    Elise Berg
    This document discusses how the term "fascism" was used broadly and sometimes inaccurately to describe different political groups in the 1930s-40s. Conservatives, socialists, communists, Trotskyists, Catholics, war resisters and supporters of the war were all sometimes labeled as fascist by their opponents. Nationalist groups were also often described as fascist depending on who was making the characterization. The document suggests the term was often used as a general pejorative for political groups that were disapproved of rather than with a precise definition.

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    Fascism

    Uploaded by

    Elise Berg
    154 views10 pages
    This document discusses how the term "fascism" was used broadly and sometimes inaccurately to describe different political groups in the 1930s-40s. Conservatives, socialists, communists, Trotskyists, Catholics, war resisters and supporters of the war were all sometimes labeled as fascist by their opponents. Nationalist groups were also often described as fascist depending on who was making the characterization. The document suggests the term was often used as a general pejorative for political groups that were disapproved of rather than with a precise definition.

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    This document discusses how the term "fascism" was used broadly and sometimes inaccurately to describe different political groups in the 1930s-40s. Conservatives, socialists, communists, Trotskyists, Catholics, war resisters and supporters of the war were all sometimes labeled as fascist by their opponents. Nationalist groups were also often described as fascist depending on who was making the characterization. The document suggests the term was often used as a general pejorative for political groups that were disapproved of rather than with a precise definition.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    154 views10 pages

    Fascism

    Uploaded by

    Elise Berg
    This document discusses how the term "fascism" was used broadly and sometimes inaccurately to describe different political groups in the 1930s-40s. Conservatives, socialists, communists, Trotskyists, Catholics, war resisters and supporters of the war were all sometimes labeled as fascist by their opponents. Nationalist groups were also often described as fascist depending on who was making the characterization. The document suggests the term was often used as a general pejorative for political groups that were disapproved of rather than with a precise definition.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
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    The text discusses how the term 'fascist' was broadly applied to many political groups and organizations during this time period.

    Conservatives, socialists, communists, Trotskyists, Catholics, war resisters, supporters of the war, and nationalists were all accused of being fascist or fascist-minded according to the text.

    Defenders of capitalism claimed socialism and fascism were the same, and socialists were accused of collaborating with Nazis. They were also called 'fascists' by communist parties and other leftist groups.

    What is Fascism?

    Conservatives: All Conservatives, appeasers or anti-appeasers, are


    held to be subjectively pro-Fascist. British rule in India and the
    Colonies is held to be indistinguishable from Nazism. Organizations of
    what one might call a patriotic and traditional type are labelled
    crypto-Fascist or Fascist-minded. Examples are the Boy Scouts, the
    Metropolitan Police, M.I.5, the British Legion. Key phrase: The public
    schools are breeding-grounds of Fascism.

    Socialists: Defenders of old-style capitalism (example, Sir Ernest


    Benn) maintain that Socialism and Fascism are the same thing. Some
    Catholic journalists maintain that Socialists have been the principal
    collaborators in the Nazi-occupied countries. The same accusation is
    made from a different angle by the Communist party during its ultraLeft phases. In the period 1930-35 the Daily Worker habitually
    referred to the Labour Party as the Labour Fascists. This is echoed by
    other Left extremists such as Anarchists. Some Indian Nationalists
    consider the British trade unions to be Fascist organizations.

    Communists: A considerable school of thought (examples,


    Rauschning, Peter Drucker, James Burnham, F. A. Voigt) refuses to
    recognize a difference between the Nazi and Soviet rgimes, and holds
    that all Fascists and Communists are aiming at approximately the
    same thing and are even to some extent the same people. Leaders in
    The Times (pre-war) have referred to the U.S.S.R. as a Fascist
    country. Again from a different angle this is echoed by Anarchists and
    Trotskyists.

    Trotskyists: Communists charge the Trotskyists proper, i.e. Trotsky's


    own organization, with being a crypto-Fascist organization in Nazi
    pay. This was widely believed on the Left during the Popular Front
    period. In their ultra-Right phases the Communists tend to apply the
    same accusation to all factions to the Left of themselves, e.g. Common
    Wealth or the I.L.P.

    Catholics: Outside its own ranks, the Catholic Church is almost


    universally regarded as pro-Fascist, both objectively and subjectively;

    War resisters: Pacifists and others who are anti-war are frequently
    accused not only of making things easier for the Axis, but of becoming
    tinged with pro-Fascist feeling.

    Supporters of the war: War resisters usually base their case on the
    claim that British imperialism is worse than Nazism, and tend to apply
    the term Fascist to anyone who wishes for a military victory. The
    supporters of the People's Convention came near to claiming that
    willingness to resist a Nazi invasion was a sign of Fascist sympathies.
    The Home Guard was denounced as a Fascist organization as soon as it
    appeared. In addition, the whole of the Left tends to equate militarism
    with Fascism. Politically conscious private soldiers nearly always refer
    to their officers as Fascist-minded or natural Fascists. Battleschools, spit and polish, saluting of officers are all considered
    conducive to Fascism. Before the war, joining the Territorials was
    regarded as a sign of Fascist tendencies. Conscription and a
    professional army are both denounced as Fascist phenomena.

    Nationalists: Nationalism is universally regarded as inherently


    Fascist, but this is held only to apply to such national movements as
    the speaker happens to disapprove of. Arab nationalism, Polish
    nationalism, Finnish nationalism, the Indian Congress Party, the
    Muslim League, Zionism, and the I.R.A. are all described as Fascist
    but not by the same people.

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