The Totalitarian Rule: Fascism, Nazism & Stalinism.
Discursive Essay (awarded First Class)
Disclaimer: This essay does not intend to demonstrate favour toward Totalitarianism or sub-categories of the political ideology. Nor does this essay accurately depict my personal values and perspectives.
Title: European history from the French Revolution to the end of the Second World War may be viewed as a series of struggles between competing ideologies. Discuss.
Fascism, Nazism and Stalinism are powerful, influential yet terrorising political ideologies that have dominated states in Europe; Italy, Germany and the USSR respectively. Debate lies within the reason behind the dictators’ motive towards their ideologies however common factors are driven by power. Despite similarities and alike intentions, the ideologies remained conflicting towards each other in distinctive ways. Fascism was prominent from 1915 to 1943 during the Rise of Fascism (1915–1920); the influence Fascism had on Nazism and rise of Nazi Germany (focusing on 1921–1939; known as Pre-World War 2); lastly, one of the most controversial political ideologies known as Communism which occurred during World War 2 (1939–1945). Given that fascism preexisted and existed during these eras, it will remain as the basis of comparison for competing ideologies.
Conflicting ideologies were prevalent in Italy since the 1880s, especially during the process of transformismo as Mussolini attempted to combat liberalism by enforcing fascism in Italy (Morgan 2003). Fascist Italy believed in anti-communism as recognised when Mussolini was declared “Il Duce” (a revered leader) by Italians and received international recognition by anti-communists states and leaders (Hallock 2013); parliamentary agreements emerged through transformismo to establish liberal institutions and to undermine the Catholic church, socialists and democrats which threatened the progression of a liberal Italy. Mussolini’s rule in Fascism dates from 1915 to 1943 through the establishment of the National Fascist Party in 1919 known as the Rise of Fascism.
The national elections held in November 1919 led to deliberation between the socioeconomic classes and political ideologies in Italy. Liberalists were the prior source of unification during the early 1900s due to the overall Industrial Revolution however liberalists were still categorised according to social classes; aristocrats contributed as the majority of liberals and the nationalists were minorities. Southern peasants were heavily disadvantaged through the increase in taxes, free trade and conscription which threatened the concept of transformismo or any form of liberalism — this led to inequality to obtain unification in Italy (Morgan 2003). The socioeconomic disparities emphasised the unaltered and inherited power of the educated, upper class Italians; most of which were supportive of liberalism however this fuelled Mussolini’s approach to fascism due to liberalism’s lack of “unity”. He believed that fascism will eradicate liberalism and provide unity by removing individualism (Mussolini 1932). Through the abolishment of liberalism, Mussolini believed that class struggle would be improved through fascism as it was a “class weapon” however weaponising fascism is a dangerous strategy that promotes dictatorship as this empowers oppression and state anarchy or isolation: “No individuals or groups (political parties, cultural associations, economic unions, social classes) outside the State.” (Mussolini 1932). Mussolini’s perspective of unity digressed due to contradictions observed in the Doctrine of Fascism as noted by the conflicting arguments and characteristics of fascism. For instance, the argument of fascism being inclusive and ethical is debatable as Mussolini’s practice in totalitarianism resulted in the abolishment of human rights which defies his stance: “by the exercise of his free will, man can and must create his own world” (Mussolini 1932) and this does not justify the assassination, approved torture, executions and imprisonments of Italians as human rights were neglected and punishable due to the threat imposed on fascism; human rights threatened the state’s security and supported opposing ideologies (Iodice 2018).
Analysing the information provided, Fascism’s view towards liberty and unity are similar to Nazism through their methods of tackling ‘threats’ especially through anti-semitism: “The 1938 racial laws, De Felice declared in his study of Jews under Fascism, had originated in the foreign policy alliance between Italy and Germany; the Axis, according to De Felice was a tactical, rather than an ideological alliance. In fact, there is clear evidence that Fascist anti-Semitism sprang from a specifically Italian trajectory of racism well before 1938.” (Goeschel 2012).
Totalitarianism enforces defence and submission towards the ruler with restrictive, oppressive and controlled regimes; Fascist Italy was antidemocratic, racist, anti-Marxist, majorly nationalistic which occurs through corruption and dictatorship. Italian Fascism led to invasions and attacks in several countries: Greece, Albania, Libya and Ethiopia (Hallock 2013). Mussolini’s Fascism provided a political basis for Nazism; Hitler and Mussolini’s shared intolerance against communism however corporatism was not favoured by Hitler while it was used by Mussolini to protect the Italian economy (Hallock 2013). Despite the similarities, differences are supported by historians such as Zeev Sternell who believed that Fascism and Nazism are distinguished between their political emphasis; Fascism was notorious for its Statism and state’s prestige; as opposed to Nazism which was governed around racism (Elewomawu 2018) which is supported by Italian historian Renzo De Felice who persisted that Fascist Italy did not have domestically influenced racism and extreme measures such as ethnic-cleansing like Nazi Germany (Goeschel 2012). Undoubtedly, the relationship between racism and Fascism is debatable due to insufficient evidence unlike Nazism which resorted to genocides during the Holocaust.
The political ideology of Fascism still sparks arguments on the main characteristics as well as the term generic fascism; better known as classical fascism given that there are modern studies that revise and analyse fascism profoundly, from a global perspective as opposed to it solely being Italian; that it does not influence Nazism but minimal transparency and evidence had been provided to justify the lack of correlation between Fascism and Nazism: “In his rather inconclusive, but suggestive introduction, De Felice stated that more needed to be said about the highly important relationship between Fascism and Nazism” (Goeschel 2012). Hence, Fascism is comparative towards Nazism due to the conflicting yet similar ideologies observed. Nazism was a notoriously brutal, political ideology that emerged from the German Workers’ Party in 1919; through Hitler’s lead and power, it was later renamed as the “Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party”. The emphasis in Nazism lies on antiSemitism, disapproval towards the Treaty of Versailles, extreme nationalism and instilling a dominant, Aryan race known as the Nazi Germans; to express Nazism’s radical intolerance, these were considered as the outcasts of society: “delinquents, the ‘workshy’, tramps, ‘habitual criminals’, homosexuals, freemasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and — most noxiously — gypsies and Jews” (Geary 2000). The concept of Nazism was declared a combination of “extreme nationalism” and “socialism” with intentions to rebuild Germany as a supreme state with support from middle-class Germans and the peasantry by the late 1920s (Geary 2000); arguments suggest that Nazism derived from Fascism however remains inconclusive (Goeschel 2012). Hitler’s instrument of persuasion derived from the use of Christianity, the act of sovereignty without communism: “It will extend its strong, protecting hand over Christianity as the basis of our entire morality, and the family as the germ cell of the body of our volk and State” and “Germany must not and will not drown in anarchistic communism” (Hitler 1933).
Viewing Nazism from a Fascist approach, the political ideologies are similar in terms of nationalism however Mussolini focused on power and prestige as opposed to subjecting dominance through ethnic cleansing; Fascism did not specify its racism, anti-semitism, xenophobia, ethnic discrimination during the regime however was a subconscious instillation due to the lack of evidence to justify that Facist Italy was indeed “very racist”. Fascism and Nazism share nationalistic approaches however the extremities vary as Nazism had a fixed dictatorship; that liberation and basic rights would only occur when the Third Reich is unified in Hitler’s definition of supreme which was evident in Mein Kampf: “The German people will have no right to engage in a colonial policy until they shall have brought all their children together in the one State. When the territory of the Reich embraces all the Germans and finds itself unable to assure them a livelihood, only then can the moral right arise, from the need of the people to acquire foreign territory” (Hitler 1925).
As noted in Nazism, the core component is governed about “unity” which is observed in Fascism. The concept of unity attempts to minimise economic disparities, provide more opportunities and improve living standards for citizens; memberships were provided to gain political power, control and favour over the Germans — evidentially, militants would be drawn to benefits that come with serving in which 93% of enlisted soldiers and 7% of volunteers contributed to the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (Blum and De Bromhead n.d.); unity in Fascism intended to overthrow the Bourgeoisie and grant more power towards the middle-class and peasantry; as well as remove liberalism for unity (Mussolini 1932). Overall, no evidence mentioned that memberships were provided in the National Fascist Party, however memberships during Nazism shows that most citizens recruited were not as educated to join Hitler’s party (Blum and De Bromhead n.d.). Hence, the similarities between Nazism and Fascism are the ideal forms of nationalism, unity and yearn for power, however conflict due to radical measures such as anti-Semitism.
Communism differs from Fascism and Nazism due to the stance; Fascism and Nazism were claimed to be anticommunist (Hallock 2013). This was prominent during Joseph Stalin’s dictatorship; surpassing his companion’s, Vladimir Lenin, death. Stalin’s involvement in World War 2 included signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with Hitler in 1939; followed by rebuilding and recovering the Red Army from Nazi blitzkrieg in 1941 (Wood 1990). From a Fascist perspective, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was indeed Fascist (Mawdsley 2017) because of Hitler’s benefits of conquest however from a Communist’s view, it is theoretically the upper hand for Hitler to invade Belarus and Ukraine due to the nature of lack of control over Communist states. The USSR adopted Communism through Marxist-Lenin approaches that built the Soviet Union as the beacon of international Communism due to its power. Evidently, more similarities are shared between Stalin’s Communism and Nazism than Fascism through “ethnic-cleansing”; Nazi Germany’s Holocausts are common knowledge whereas Stalin’s concentration camps around Europe were not publicised as much (Geyer and Flitzpatrick 2009). The purpose of genocides was due to respective reasons: Hitler believed strongly in antisemitism and Stalin’s concentration camps were governed around psychological motivators such as “paranoia” (Wheatcroft 1996). Comparatively in a modern day context, Communism no longer exists in Europe however concentration camps are prevalent in China to ethnic-cleanse Uyghur people; this could easily be concluded as the abuse of power, authority and use of Totalitarianism as opposed to classical characteristics of Communism. Figure 2 (unavailable) highlights the mortality rate; perhaps, the quantity as compared to the 11 million Jews who were murdered or had died in Nazi concentration camps are not as vast hence the lack of media and educational coverage.
Minimal evidence is provided to declare the (Bolshevik) Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s involvement; lack of evidence shows that members or anyone else besides Joseph Stalin had relative or full authority. Given that Stalin instilled dictatorship without consideration of cabinets, civilians and international leaders or affairs, Stalin’s political ideology leans towards Fascism as opposed to Communism; his emphasis of power was centred around instilling patriotism and military strength, gains and power; his involvement in World War 2 was intended to build power, be an international beacon of Communism and enforce resistance against Nazi Germany (Mawdsley 2017). Modern studies conducted have shown that Marxist ideologies and approaches could also be integrated with Fascism; commonly, Fascism is non-Marxist; this research emerged during comparative studies between Nazism and Stalinism (Umland 2005). Hence, Stalin’s rule was Communist however may be Fascist from other angles during World War 2.
The overall similarity shared within Fascism, Nazism and Communism (Stalinism) was that they were classified under Totalitarianism; and that Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin were dictators. The overall difference varies from their stance in communism; however Fascism and Nazism differ in their extremities and ideological practices. The biggest change encountered from these three periods are political ideologies and their controlled warfare measures; dictatorship is currently illegal under UN supervision and conduct, however Communism is the only political ideology that currently remains and is practiced in 4 states.
Full research including figures and references provided upon request: work.theababani@gmail.com
