Exploring the Complex Ideology of Fascism

Fascism is considered to be one of the ideological products of the 20th century and it was established as a political regime by Benito Mussolini, in Italy, after the First World War. It represents a broad concept, a radical and authoritarian nationalistic political ideology, notoriously hard to define. It is based on ideas such as anti-democracy, anti-liberalism, anti-communism, anti-capitalism and anti-semitism. Fascism can be defined in many ways but in its overall view Fascism is a nationalistic complex ideology that a nation essentially owes itself. Absolutely anti democratic, fascism involves a one man government that seeks complete self rule with limited outside connection. It strips citizens of their rights and allows the state to be

In order to find the roots of fascism and understand the rise of this new political ideology, it is necessary to examine the elements and the circumstances which allowed fascism to be established. Many historicals argue that fascism is the consequence of the crisis that fallowed the First World War, war that caused damages and economic crisis in most of the European countries. The socond source of the political instability created in the inter-war period was the rise and the threat from the left wing, communism, as a proletarian socialist revolution became reality. The First World War and the victory of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917 shattered the trust of many European nations in democracy. These two main events also contributed to the rise of new revolutionary ideas. (Passmore, Kevin. Fascism a Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002.

In Italy, many events created the necessary background for establishing fascism as a new ideology and as a political system. Historians argue that the liberal regime was imposed in Italy and this regime did not try to represent the mass of the people. The liberal regime failed to enssure political freedom, it used repression against mass protests and only the economical elite groups were able to take part in the political life. The mass of the society, which was poor, was excluded from participation in politics. (De, Grand Alexander J. Italian Fascism. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 2000.