The Radical Right: Nazism and Fascism

In modern world not monarchism but fascism or Nazism is seen as furthest to the right. Fascism (Nazism) is the furthest removed from the democratic centre because it denies the idea of democracy and of universal human rights. Hitler’s ‘National Socialist’ Party had a populist strand because the ‘Führer’ (leader) was seen as representing the true interests of the German ‘Volk’ (people) more completely than any democratic process could do. It was also anti-capitalist, capitalism was seen as a Jewish conspiracy to rob the Volk. The state was seen as the embodiment of the public good and clearly had the responsibility to organize the economy, the educational system and the whole of social and cultural life. A major emphasis of the movement was on the mobilization of the German people through a single party using the modern technology of mass communication.

In practice Nazism was dominated by the urge for power of its elite and their commitment to xenophobia, racism and nationalism. The desire to make Versailles settlement of 1919 right for Germans and strong nationalist feelings shared by many Germans became a nightmare doctrine. The right of an ‘Aryan’ master race to ‘living space’ to the East and to cleanse itself of ‘alien’ elements such as Gypsies and Jews as well as to eliminate any mentally or physically defective specimens of their own race was asserted. The attempt to implement a state based on these doctrines resulted in the deaths of millions across the whole planet (the Holocaust).

Hitler’s views, articulated in Mein Kampf (‘My Struggle’) were based on conservative German political theorists and philosophers. Hegel [1770–1831], for instance, had stressed the importance of a strong state, its role in defining culture and the existence of a logic (or dialectic) of history which justified war by superior states upon inferior ones. Schopenhauer [1780–1860] glorified Will over Reason. Nietzsche [1844–1900] believed in the creation of a race of superior individuals. Views like these were combined with carefully selected ‘scientific’ findings about natural selection and the nature of human racial divisions to create an ideology which had a powerful appeal in atmosphere of an economically depressed Germany in the 1930s.

Italian fascism was based upon the same social and political discontent and used many of the same methods to achieve power – street warfare and mass rallies for instance. But Italian fascism placed much less emphasis on racism. The appeal of the leader was combined with an attempt to create a structure of representation that included the Church, the army and employers’ associations and even workers’ syndicates. Spanish and Argentinian fascists have developed similar ideas and institutions.

With the defeat of Hitler, Nazi or fascist ideas have become rather unfashionable. On the extreme right in Europe even those who express admiration for Hitler denied that the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust took place. The swastika became an icon for rebellious youth to embarrass parents with, it no longer was a serious political symbol. But racist and extreme nationalist sentiments remain the mark of the extreme right together with an anti-communist/labour rhetoric.

 

1 Give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and expressions

Human rights, to rob, embodiment, xenophobia, nightmare, warfare, mass rally, rhetoric.

2 Translate words and word combinations from Ukrainian into English and use them in your own sentences.

Популістській, змова, система освіти, ліквідувати, здійснювати, нижчий, привабливість.

3 Complete the sentences.

1. The state was seen...

2. In modern world...

3. The desire to make...

4. The attempt to implement...

5. Italian fascism...

6. Nietzsche [1844–1900] believed...

7. The appeal of the leader...

8. On the extreme right...

4 Comprehension questions.

1. Why is fascism removed from the democratic centre? Where is fascism situated on the political spectrum?

2. What ideas did fascism embody? Why did it get support from the people?

3. What emphasis did the ideology make? What was the foundation of fascism?

4. How did fascism treat other nations and races?

5. What theories was fascism based on? What philosophical concepts did fascism include?

6. What was Italian fascism based on? What was its main method?

7. What role does fascism play after the defeat of Hitler?

 

5 Say if the following statements are true according to the text.

1. In modern world fascism or Nazism is seen as furthest to the left.

2. Hitler’s ‘National Socialist’ Party had a populist strand.

3. The state was seen as the embodiment of the economy.

4. A major emphasis of the movement was on the mobilization of the people all over the world.

5. Fascism or Nazism wanted to make Versailles settlement of 1919 right for Germans.

6. ‘Aryan’ race was seen as master race, other races were inferior.

7. Hitler’s views were based on Roman political theorists and philosophers.

8. Hegel glorified Will over Reason.

9. Nietzsche believed in the creation of a race of superior individuals.

10. Italian fascism placed much less emphasis on racism.

11. Spanish and Argentinian fascists were different from Italian fascism.

12. The swastika became an icon for rebellious politicians.