Fascism Cornell Notes
 Q:What is the definition of fascism?
 A: A political/economic movement that
promotes an extreme form of nationalism.
– It is organized by a one-party dictatorship
– Relies on intense nationalism, racism,
militarism, and imperialism
– Government controls many industries,
supports business, anti- union
 Q: What is the goal of Fascism?
 A: National unity, advance country’s
power and prestige
 Q: What ideas do fascists oppose?
 A: democracy, Communism, liberalism,
 Q: What ideas do fascists support?
 A: Big business supported by government,
racism, militarism, single party rule, it is
all about control
 Q: What countries were fascist and when did they
become fascist?
 A: Italy under Mussolini 1922, Germany Hitler
1933, Japan 1930s, Spain Franco 1936,
Argentina Peron1940s.
 Q: Why did it begin in Europe?
 A: Fascism relies on industrialized wealthy
nations who may have had some democracy, but
not a long tradition of it.
– Workers (but not unions) are important as the basis
for the nation, but ruled by dictatorship
– Middle class support is vital
 Q: Why are fascist countries racist?
 A: Extreme nationalism means excluding one
group to make everyone else feel a sense of
unity. Germany and Japan are examples of this.
(Germany an EXTREME example!) Violence
and terror used to increase the racism.
 Q: Why industrialized countries?
 A: Need industry to militarize and carry out
imperialism
 Q: Why militarism?:
 A: Dictatorship rely on military- build up
military= they support government
Political
•One-party dictatorship
•Some experience with democracy
•Imperialistic
•Media is tightly controlled by the
government
Economic
•Government controls many
industries, supports business, antiunion
•Resources of the society were
directed toward the support of
corporate profits in the name of
national unity and economic
development
•Industrialized
Social
•Intense nationalism
•Fascism tends to celebrate masculinity,
youth, mystical unity, and the
regenerative power of violence.
•It emphasizes a myth of national or
racial rebirth after a period of decline or
destruction
•Often, but not always, it promotes
racial superiority doctrines, ethnic
persecution, imperialist expansion, and
genocide.
Fascism is a form of extreme right-wing ideology that celebrates
the nation or the race as an organic community transcending all
other loyalties. It emphasizes a myth of national or racial rebirth
after a period of decline or destruction. To this end, fascism calls
for a "spiritual revolution" against signs of moral decay such as
individualism and materialism, and seeks to purge "alien" forces
and groups that threaten the organic community. Fascism tends
to celebrate masculinity, youth, mystical unity, and the
regenerative power of violence. Often, but not always, it
promotes racial superiority doctrines, ethnic persecution,
imperialist expansion, and genocide. At the same time, fascists
may embrace a form of internationalism based on either racial or
ideological solidarity across national boundaries. Usually
fascism espouses open male supremacy, though sometimes it
may also promote female solidarity and new opportunities for
women of the privileged nation or race
Fascism deceptively calls for the national unity of social
classes, class-collaboration, but actually promotes the
division of people by race, sex, culture, nation, or
religion. Fascism was, under Mussolini and, later,
Hitler, conceived as the "corporate state", that is, all the
resources of the society were directed toward the
support of corporate profits in the name of national
unity and economic development. In order to motivate
warriors and bolster profits, fascism conceals the real
and insoluble tensions between those who own and
those who work