Fascism

In March 1919, several dozen people gathered in Milan's Piazza San Sepolcro, led by the fervent nationalist Benito Mussolini. The result was the formation of an organisation called the Italian Combat Volunteers (Fasci Italiani di Combattimento). Thus, a new phenomenon appeared on the political scene - fascism. After three years, the initially small and insignificant movement gained power in Italy, and by 1932 Mussolini could confidently proclaim that the 20th century would be un secolo fascista - the century of fascism. In the 1930s, it might have seemed that he was right. Different national branches of fascism have emerged in every European country, millions of people have voted for fascists in free and democratic elections. The fascist vision and the promised new order seemed appealing to many. But they failed to recognize the inevitable genocidal nature of fascism. In his book, Slovak historian Jakub Drábik explains what fascism really is, how to define it, who can be described as a fascist, how fascism manifests itself outwardly, and what all this implies. It clarifies the motivation and ideology of fascism and explains, as possible, that millions of people succumbed to the lure of fascism and lived, they listened, were working, sacrificed themselves, fought and died in the service of one of the most pernicious ideologies in human history. Using the example of four European countries - Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Czechoslovakia - shows, how historical fascist movements functioned in the interwar period, but it also focuses on fascism as a global phenomenon and describes, how it worked outside Europe. There are also up-to-date chapters on the development of fascism after 1945 and examples of how fascism manifests itself in the 21st century and why its threat is, unfortunately, still relevant.

"Drábik's book reflects recent developments in comparative studies of fascism, theories and understanding of specific movements. It is also significant because it pays considerable attention to the post-war development of fascism. " - Roger Griffin