A quick note, this rundown of historical literature on fascism will focus on general interpretations and general histories. This will not focus on specific studies of economics, culture, or politics or regional studies. This is not a complete, and only accounts for what ive read.
My favorite historian of fascism is Stanley Payne. His "A History of Fascism" is the best overview. The second book pictured here is a taxonomic overview of fascism that focuses on ideological differences and policies in different countries.
Payne's specific specialty is in Spain. He has plenty of good books on Franco and the Civil war, but these are two books that focus on Spanish fascism. All the relevent debates about how to interpret Spanish fascism and right-wing politics are in here.
Paul Gottfried's book on fascism is one of my favorites. Sees fascism as ultimately a rightist political expression and agrees with the Marxists on fascism's role as a force holding back socialism. His chapters on totalitarianism and fascist internationalism are my favorites.
Paxton's "Anatomy of Fascism" is one of my least favotrite interpretations. However, it is widely read and therefore its probably important to read at some point. Be warned
Gregor hold some weird opinions about fascism as general phenomenon (he generally interprets it as a leftist phenomenon) but he is prolific and generally gets it right. There is a number of books he wrote but here is some of his best.
In particular, he is a great resource on the intellectual origins of Italian fascism. Where Italian fascism diverged but also mirrored socialism and Italian nationalism as an ideology.
Renzo de Felice is generally considered the greatest historian of Italian fascism. On top of writing an 8 volume bio of Mussolini, he wrote dozens of other general histories. Problem is a lot of them arent in English, here one I have read, that I highly recommend.
Mosse is a great resource on understanding the unique nature of fascism and national socialism in Germany. Emphasizes German Nazism as unique cultural revolution.Not a version of conservatism or traditionalism
Griffins interpretation of fascism is probably one of the most unique in that it tries to fully understand it on its own terms. It was a unique historical phenomenon that had its own ideology and nature. "The Nature of Fascism" is definitely worth reading .
In my opinion, the Marxists got a number of things right about how fascism functioned as an historical phenomenon. Fascism was not just a form of ultra-conservatism in Italy or Germany, and it wasn't particularly popular among traditional/capitalist elites. However, these elites
did ultimately work with these forces as opposed to indigenous communist forces in their own countries. This fact alone makes some of their arguments worth considering. Guerin is a good example of this. I don't know if Turner falls into this, but similar thesis.
Fascism as a unique cultural/social revolution has been explored in a number of texts, here a few. "Fascist Voices" and "Who Were the Fascists" are two of my favorites.
"Who Were the Fascists" provides an accounting of the early social basis of each fascist/natsoc party in Europe. Emphasizes fascism as unique type of modernizing social revolution.
Ernst Nolte suffered from the same delusions that Gregor did, but generally he had a pretty spot on analysis of fascism. His comparisons between Nazism and Soviet communism i thought were unfair, but "Three Faces of Fascism" is a really good book, if you can get your hands on it.
The case of Austria is a really interesting case study, I include this because in this case, Nazism and fascism were unique forms of political modernization that were adversarial to movements that were more conservative in Austria (Dolfuss, Catholics, and Habsburg apologists).
Her is a few general studies that examine Nazism as a phenomenon. "Inside Nazi Germany" emphasizes Nazism as a movement that came to power as a reaction to modernism and social democracy that ultimately acted as a type of modernism, bringing the German masses into a new way
thinking ultimately more compatible with a type of modernity. The Schoenbaum book is similar. Rhobes "The Hitler Movement" looks at Nazism as a religious and truly revolutionary milenarian phenomenon. Kershaw's book provides a guide to all of the relevant
These are my favorite histories that emphasize continuity between Nazism and older elements of the German nationalist right that tried to confront ideological antagonisms between tradition and modernity.
If you can find this book, I would recommend it. Emphasizes Italian fascist regime, as great directors of Industrialization. Lends credit to thesis that fascism was ultimately modernizing agent that was able to direct economic progress in a way that traditional elites could not.
Similar to Payne's "Comparisons and Definitions", emphasizes differences and unique nature of each countries version of fascism or ultra-nationalism.
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It depends on the specific book/academic you are talking about. In the case of Nazis, it has alot to do with that. There was more of an openness to asses the Italian fascists accurately. But Arendts work and the work of Adorno and others completely enveloped initial studies of
Nazism. It has changed in recent years though. Although, off top of my head, I cant think of any studies that demonstrate an openess to look at Nazism outside paradigm of totalitarianism.
To go back to your initial question, Cold war was essential because they had to do a
"both sidesism" for Soviets (a regime that could actually be described as slightly totalitarian given their definition)and Nazis (certainly not nearly as politically or socially totalizing as the other, although I think this use of totalitarianism is not actually helpful and I am
exiledjargon.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-co…
This is a great extended essay I was sent by (also written by) @Jargon_0 on the history of right populism in the last 150 or so years of American history. I have always been conflicted in trying to understand the history of conservative/rightist politics
(I use these terms as a stand in for the the healthier aspects of American political life, they dont always necessarily match with traditional poly sci definitions of these things). For example, in my lectures as a student teacher in grad school on the history of the conservative
movement, I presented it as essentially a material issue. Earlier conservative politics were funded by more domestic, even regional business types(think of extractive resource based industries) and the inclusion of more high finance types in the 70's and 80's changed the
I genuinely resent both Marxian/Dem-Soc as well Nat-Soc/ fascist ideologues who twist history to bolster their ideological bs. I would be willing to bet a lot of money that no serious professional historian of fascism currently working would actually be willing to sign on to this
as a serious statement on the nature of fascism as a historical phenomenon. Fascism as a final barricade of the bourgeoise and especially more domestic or national elements of capital does correspond with how certain fascist regimes unfolded in the interwar period. However, it
certainly does not capture the full picture of these regimes nor does it prove itself to be an immutable law of history that is still applicable to the 21st century. Enzo Traverso- an excellent Italian socialist historian-who's book "Fire and Blood" published by Verso (Gravel
Historiography/suggested readings for the history of the American empire. This is not a full accounting of the history of U.S. foreign policy, but instead is a number of suggested readings that I think help us understand the nature and history of US empire.
Williams for me is the single greatest historian of US empire. Not only did Williams give a full historical accounting of the origins and trajectory of US empire, but from a theoretical standpoint he was able to help historians understand many of the underlying motivations in
each travail and moment of US foreign policy. He is characterized as a Marxist historian by some, but I don't think that captures his full view and his nuance. "The Tragedy of US Diplomacy" is the best place to start and "The Contours of American history" is his magnum opus
Before I started studying German hist in grad school, My focus was on Southern hist as undergrad. Reconstruction remains my favorite body of literature because the history and controversies regarding the historiography are almost as interesting as the history itself
Pike, "the Prostrate State". One of the first journalistic accounts of reconstruction. Highly negative in its assessments of black competence in government. Many images from the film "Birth of a Nation" come straight from this book. South Carolina in particular was at the center
"La Grande Illusion", directed by Jen Renoir (1937). The shift from "Civilized" warfare in Europe to the great European civil war that was WWI. Romantically depicts the friendship between French Captain Boeldieu and German Officer von Rauffenstein.
"Reciprocal loyalty and admiration was the mirror of a dynastic and aristocratic conception of war that would not survive the trauma of 1914-1918."
"It is in accomplishing their respective military duties that Boeldieu tries to escape from his imprisonment and Rauffenstein kills
him; but at the moment of his enemy's death he asks to be pardoned: he did not wish to kill Boeldieu, simply to wound him, but it was dark and he failed. The movie shows that these enemies shared many common values - above all the sense of honour - that were certainly higher and