Publisher's Synopsis
Though we think we know what it is, the reality of fascism is remarkably elusive. On the one hand it has become a collective term of abuse and on the other, scholars have over-defined it out of existence. This book tries to avoid these problems by placing fascism in its historical context.;Combining revolutionary anti-capitalism and nationalism, fascism originated from the radical right in the late nineteenth century and encompassed a spectrum of movements. It was under Mussolini's movement in Italy that the term 'Fascism' became attached to this 'Third Way' between socialism and conservatism. Misled by the rhetoric of compromise, most apparently innocuous political movements were attracted to these fascist attitudes and allowed themselves to be infiltrated. What resulted was a family of fascist movements, each with its own characteristics. In the final chapter, the real legacy of Fascism in the second half of the twentieth century is assessed.
