Fascism

Fascist Beliefs and Policies

• Fascism emerged in Europe as a synthesis of organic nationalism and anti-Marxist socialism.

Organic nationalism means a belief in the harmonious collectivity of Nations superseding all other forms of human identification. Its organic nationalism accounts for its deep-rooted hostility to internationalism and organizations and movements based on internationalism such as communism, freemasonry, the League of Nations, finance capital and the multi-national Jewish community.

• It rejected liberalism, democracy, Marxism, rationalist materialism, individualism and pluralist autonomy. It called for activism, vitality and Social-Darwinism.

Social Darwinism believed that people in society compete for survival and only superior groups and races succeed.

• It supported unity of command, of authority, of moral mobilization and of propaganda in the service of the modern state. It emphasised on loyalty to the state and obedience to its leader.
• A specific tendency towards an authoritarian, charismatic, personal style of command (whether elective or non-elective) were other features related to this militarization of politics.
• Fascists promised to revive the economy, punish those responsible for hard times, and restore national pride.
• They preached an extreme form of nationalism, or loyalty to one’s country and believed that nations must struggle—peaceful states were doomed to be conquered. In each nation, Fascists wore uniforms of a certain colour, used special salutes, and held mass rallies.

Benito Mussolini-1883–1945

Benito Mussolini was the originator of the idea of Fascism. He was a school teacher, a trade unionist and a journalist.

• When the First World War broke out, he propagated that the Italian Government should immediately join the war in favour of the Allies. When Italy was forced to join the war on the side of the Allies, Mussolini became popular. He also participated in the war as a soldier.
• The Bolshevik Revolution took place in Russia in 1917. The people of Italy also were influenced by the revolution. Mussolini, who was a staunch opponent of Bolshevism, decided to start a new party to fight Communism. Fascist Party was established under his leadership in 1919. The members wore black shirts and were equipped with arms. The party had its own flag. The members were well disciplined and Mussolini was their chief commander.
• Mussolini wanted to win support for an overseas empire in Africa and a militaristic state at home. So he often used settings and symbols from the period of Italy’s glory—the Roman Empire.

Charter of Fascist party

Nationalisation of factories	Forfeiture of the Church property
Confiscation of surplus money from the capitalists	Eight hours work in factories
Universal Franchise	Framing of a new constitution.

Mussolini as the Dictator

One leader, one party, no democracy, no individual rights and supremacy of the state were the objectives of the Fascist party.

He took the following steps for the reorganization of administration.

• In February 1923, a fusion of Fascist Party and Nationalist Association of Italy (ANI) took place. This fusion with a conservative, elitist, monarchist right-wing was essential to gain  broader support among army officers, academics, civil servants and businessmen. The traditional right groups co-operated with fascists in passing the Acerbo Bill in 1923 which proposed that the party receiving a quarter of votes in an election, should be automatically given two-thirds of seats in the parliament.

Using force and fraud, Fascists swept the 1924 election. Mussolini went ahead with his institutionalization of dictatorship.

• In October 1926, all opposition parties were banned. The press was shackled, and the Public Safety Law(1926) made the security of state take precedence over personal liberty. The Syndical Laws (1926) brought labour under the control of state, in the interest of production. The law confirmed the fascist unions in their monopoly of negotiations, set up tribunals for compulsory arbitration and banned strikes and go-slows.
• Mussolini appease the church. Large grants were made for the repair of war-damaged churches. In 1923, religious education was made compulsory in secondary schools.
• A military type Militia developed out of the fascist squads. Its cadres were indoctrinated and used against opponents.
• The dacoits living in the interiors of Naples and Sicily were crushed. The economic and social conditions of the labourers were improved. Trade Unions were abolished.
• The entire powers of the Parliament were snatched. Members faithful to the leader alone were appointed as ministers and officers. All local bodies were suspended.
• Only Fascist lawyers were allowed to practice. Unlimited powers were given to the police department. Members of the opposition parties were imprisoned.

However, Mussolini never had the total control achieved by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union or Adolf Hitler in Germany.

• Unlike the Nazi German state, Fascism in Italy never achieved a day-to-day institutional control.
• The state intervention in the economic life of the nation was marginal in the early part or regime.
• The Direct state investment during the Depression was only an emergency measure.

The Fascist State also introduced certain welfare schemes for workers in 1930s. e.g. family allowances were given in 1934. There was no policy of racial anti-Semitism up to 1937. In November 1938, racial laws were passed which banned marriage with Jews, denied jobs to them in public services, debarred them from joining the Fascist Party and from owning more than 50 hectares of land (but no genocide).