What is fascism? Understand why it appears on the global stage from time to time

According to the Dictionary Meanings, the word fascism derives from Italian beam, which means “bundle” and refers to an “alliance” or “federation” of people who have an authoritarian and anti-democratic political stance.

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He became known worldwide for the far-right movement that emerged in Italy in the 1910s, and came to power in the country in the 1920s, in the period of deep economic crisis after the First World War and the fear of the advance of socialism around the world. .

Fascism in Italy (Brazil School)

Benedict Mussolini on the march to take Rome. Image: Reproduction Instagram/historiadelfascismo

Beyond Mussolini: fascism as an ideology

It is difficult to find a definition for fascism, as the movement takes on specific characteristics from each country or region where it arises, adapts and creates specific “public enemies” in each society.

George Orwell, author of renowned books, including “What is fascism and other essays”, states that “even large fascist states differ to a large extent from each other in structure and ideology”. By delving into texts and studies on the subject, we came to a more current definition:

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Fascism is a mass social movement, ultra conservative linked to the extreme right, which triggers deep crises, whether economic, political or social, within a capitalist regime.

“Fascism is one of the political forces existing in capitalism. This does not mean that, necessarily, every crisis of capitalism will lead to fascism, but it is always a possibility”, explains the Professor of Contemporary History at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Tatiana Silva Poggi de Figueiredo, with doctoral work on fascism, neofascism and expressions of neo-Nazism present in the extreme right.

She explains that fascism has, in its essence, the “dehumanization of the other” and the extermination of people, social groups or sectors, considered inferior and disposable.

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“They may be minorities or certain social groups perceived as disposable or unwelcome. Fascism dehumanizes certain social sectors considered undesirable. And then, from there, a relationship is built in which this 'other' threatens as 'I am'. The proposal then becomes to eliminate this other.”

And this other can be LGBTQIA+, African-based religions, foreigners or refugees, Jews, black people, or just followers of a different political-ideological line than the majority. In many countries where the fascist wave proved turbulent, Communism was – and still is – a “public enemy”.

Characteristics of fascist regimes and/or movements

Valuing patriotism or nationalism and defending national security
Persecution of opponents of the regime, extermination of those who threaten it
Blaming groups, ethnicities, sectors, citizens or specific ideologies for the crisis faced
Censorship and control of the media.
Centralization of power, usually in the hands of a messianic leader
Strong presence of militarism
Use of religious concepts or religions to control and manipulate society
Devaluation of any artistic form

Fascist wave around the world

According to the teacher Tatiana Silva Poggi de Figueiredo, to understand fascism you need to understand that it is a process. “We can observe a fascist project, fascist organizations, policies with a fascist bias, fascist leaders, before having a fascist regime.”

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Today, in the expert's assessment, there are no actually fascist regimes, but some with fascist leaders.

“We have fascist organizations, we have political projects and society projects that are fascist. This is how the process of social construction of fascism works. But what I'm trying to say is a regime may not even come to fruition. Fascism may not come to power, but it may be present in society”, he adds.

Second Tatiana Poggi, there is a strong global tendency towards fascist discourses, currently, in the face of the profound social crisis: “the culture of hate, the scenario of social indifference that deepens considerably into a social context of despair, of lack of perspectives…leads to fascist movements” , says the scholar.

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“This paves the way, indeed, for the growth of fascism, for the emergence of authoritarian leaders who will bet on transformation by force – which has been developing –, eloquent, nationalist, xenophobic speeches, in short, who will defend certain communities that are almost mythologized and they will refer to a mythologized past, a glorious past. This scenario of intense crisis paves the way for the strengthening of fascist proposals”, explains the professor.

Fascist regimes in the past

The post-war period was marked by the rise of fascism in several European countries. We can remember Salazarism, in Portugal, Francoism, in Spain, and others fascist regimes that emerged in Croatia, Lithuania and Hungary, Here in Latin America history tells about fascist movements, the best known was Peronism, in Argentina. The website world education explains some of these regimes:

Na Germany, fascism was established shortly after the end of the First World War, as well as in Italy, and was characterized as an authoritarian and annihilating regime. Because it had very specific characteristics and exclusive enemies – the Jews, mostly – the regime there was named Nazism, whose main leader was Adolf Hitler. See all 'The language of the Third Reich' (World Education).

Fascism was also – and still is – present in Brazil. But that’s a story for another.”Curto News explain it to you.”