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Fascism

Fascism

David Renton

(1999)

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Book Details

Abstract

In the 1930s fascist parties came to power across Europe. Millions were killed in the war and the Holocaust. Yet, sixty years on, fascism is on the rise once more in all major European states and far right parties are again winning converts.

To explain this disturbing trend, Dave Renton surveys the history of modern fascism in Europe, from its pre-war origins up to the present day. Renton examines the Marxist response to fascism in the age of Hitler and Mussolini and the writings of political thinkers such as Trotsky and Gramsci, as well as more recent European theorists such as Miliband, Mason and Poulantzas.

Renton argues that fascism should be understood not through the 'theory' of liberal fascism studies, but rather in terms of the brutal practice that fascism brought in its wake.
'Excellent ... genuinely thought provoking and refreshing'
Race and Class

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Contents iii
Acknowledgements vi
Abbreviations vii
Introduction 1
1. Fascism today 6
2. The prison of ideas 18
The new consensus 19
3. Classical fascism 30
4. An alternative method 44
Marxists before fascism 47
5. Marxists against Mussolini and Hitler 54
6. Thalheimer, Silone, Gramsci, Trotsky 63
7. Beyond 1933 77
The war and beyond 82
Miliband, Mason, Poulantzas 84
8. Marxists and the Holocaust 91
The Goldhagen debate 95
Conclusion 100
Fascism as reaction 101
Fascism as a mass movement 102
Fascism as ideology and movement 104
The Marxist definition explored 105
How to stop fascism today 109
References 117
Acknowledgements 117
Introduction 117
Chapter 1 117
Chapter 2 120
Chapter 3 123
Chapter 4 126
Chapter 5 127
Chapter 6 129
Chapter 7 133
Chapter 8 136
Conclusion 138
Select bibliography 142
Unpublished sources 142
Published sources 142
Index 147
Academic theories of Fascism, 18-29 18
Adler, Max, 102 102
Adorno, Theodor 81 81
Alexander, Pete 102 102
Anti-fascism 7
in Britain in 7 7
in Britain in 10 10
in Britain in 63 63
in Britain in 87 87
in France in 112 112
in France in 115 115
in Germany in 16 16
in Germany in 114 114