Origin

Fascism originates from the Latin word "Fasci"- literally meaning a bundle. It stems from the idea that "a bundle of things/people will be stronger together than individually" [Khan Academy]."

"Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind." -Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist (1879-1995)

Forerunners of Fascism included Georges Boulanger, Adolf Stoker and Karl Lueger, who manipulated the people's fear of anarchic revolution and chaos to gain political power, according to info please encyclopaedia.

Historical Context

This ideology was introduced in the early 20th century, and according to info please encyclopaedia, it "introduced no systematic exposition or purpose other than a reaction against socialist and democratic egalitarianism." Revealing that fascism was the consequent result of a conservative attempt to counter the new growth of the democratic ideology and political participation in the late 19th Century.

The foundations of Fascism lie with Benito Mussolini, who ruled Italy during the 1920s, 1930s and through World War Two, after marching into Rome with his Black Shirt Army. As Europe was entering World War I in 1914, the main Italian Socialist Party wanted neutrality for Italy. Where on the other hand, many splinter groups argued the nationalistic counter, Mussolini included. In early 1915 he established the Fasci d'Azione Rivoluzionaria, which was then reformed into the Fasci Italiana di Combattimento in 1919. This group sought for revolutionary action and change.

Proponents

As stated earlier forerunners of fascism included Georges Boulanger, Adolf Stöker, and Karl Lueger, who in their attempts to gain political power fuelled the people's fear of archaic revolution and chaos. These proponents appealed to nationalism, prejudices, and portrayed themselves as superiors of law, and order [infoplease encyclopaedia]. Other proponents of fascism include Gabriele D'Annunzio, Adolf Hitler, Francisco Franco, and in today's relevance the NPD (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands), and Donald J. Trump.

The militaristic aggression of Fascism led to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, the Spanish civil war, as well as Nazi Germany's campaign in Central and Eastern Europe in early 1940, which evolved into World War II.

Central Tenets

Fascism can be described as neither left or right-winged, it is part of its own spectrum. Fascism is the belief in racial superiority, the nation or race before the individual, political domination, overly aggressive-totalitarian autocratic government, and foreign policies, extremely nationalistic and militaristic, the market is a subordinate of the state, and legitimate political violence. An example of this would be Mussolini's Black Shirt Army or Hitler's SS units.

Now please refer back to the notes made on your initial impressions of Fascism. How do they differ or overlap with your post impressions.