HISB91 Lecture 9 – February 8

Fascism and National Socialism

- Fascism was the Italian form of this movement. National socialism was the German
version. Short form for the German term ‘Nacionalsocilism’
- Fascism has become a generic term for the whole phenomenon
- We have to go back to industrialism in order to understand fascism. New masses of
people, growing literacy, politicization, mass education, emergence of new kind of
politics. Politics of spectacle, of theatre, politics of emotion rather than persuasion.
- A new kind of politics. Commercialization of politics. Need money for campaigns.
- The emergence of new social groupings – the new middle collars. White collar workers,
not blue collar workers. As industry moved into its 2nd phase. As units became larger, an
army of personnel was needed to manage masses in corporations, mall, etc. This kind of
class did not exist in the past. They had a powerful sense of status but still fragile and
vulnerable and volatile politically. Vulnerable to the notion of politics.
- Industrialization was accompanied by the growing nationalism. The socialization and the
development of the sense of citizenship. Very often those who were most nationalistic
were very vulnerable and felt insecure. They were the most patriotic. Felt attracted to
image bigger than themselves, images that they could identify themselves with.
- War destroys so much, cuts the underpinning of liberalism.
- 19th century was called the liberal century (i.e. free enterprise, freedom of idea). Europe
that was full of opportunity. Liberalism was the most attractive ideology.
- The meaning of the individual is undermined by the Great War. The hero becomes the
Unknown Soldier in the light of 1000’s upon 1000’s dead. The war destroys the liberal
impulse.
- In the context of grief, death liberalism didn’t mean much. War promotes nationalism
Connection between anxiety and national identity. As people become frightened, they
identify themselves with the notion of ‘nation.’
- The notion of the ‘nation’ fostered a powerful sense of comradely.
- Hitler regarded the war experience as the ultimate experience. He wanted to transfer
the spirit of comradely community in the front trenches to the country in peace time.
- The uniform is always there in fascism. The horse was associated with the notion of
virility and an implied heroism.
- Hitler always wore that uniform. The connection to the trenches, to the war experience,
to the war spirit.
- Liberalism is undermined, economics of liberalism in undermined.
- The world economy and particularly economies of the losers (Germany, Austria) were
affected. Germany declared guilty for the war, not admitted to the League of Nations,
forced to pay reparations (2 billion gold marks), not granted any status in the
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HISB91 Lecture 9 – February 8

international community (political/economic), forced to go from a war economy to the

peace economy, currency not trusted. Germany began to experience an inflationary
period. In 1923 German y was defaulting on the reparations payments, Belgium and
French troops decided to occupy the hub of the German industry (Ruhr). By summer
1923 the Deutche mark was completely meaningless. Workers refused to accept
payments in money but demanded payments in things. When you went to the
restaurant, you had to pay beforehand because by the end of the meal, the exchange
rate could drop even more.
- Surreal world. The realm of nightmare was much more real.
- The working class tends to live from pay cheque to pay cheque. The anger as a result of
inflation was enormous. In 1923 Germans truly became murderess. Inflation wiping out
future dreams, utterly, completely. One of the reasons why the German governments
didn’t intervene was because with inflation the government debt was wiped out. Money
was more useful in the stove than to purchase things.
- Much of the growth in Germany was due to American investment in the middle years.
By 1928 Wall Street was far more lucrative. Wall Street was booming in 1928. When
Wall Street crashed in 1929 affected the whole world. By 1932 unemployment was 40%
(2/5 people). By 1929 there’s a political crisis because of unemployment so the
government collapsed.
- Liberalism was denounced. Liberalism – greed, materialism, atomization, destroys
society. Socialism and nationalism was about spirit, transcending the material conditions
of life.
- Fascism and nationalism promoted life as a matter of transcendence a matter of the
bonding of community through race, blood (of a nation, race), land. Fascism stressed
the politics of the heart. Action was the primary notion (i.e. action against enemy).
- Leader – Mussolini. Embodied the hopes of the nation. Criticism of the leader was
undermined since it would mean criticism of the nation.
- Life is constant struggle. Involves a constant perfecting. Getting rid of the negative,
enemy. Purifying, cleaning, get rid of the dirt. Gas what had done in the trenches during
WWI. If you were a fascist, you thought of that as a positive.
- Mein Kampf – My Struggle.
- The community. Ein Reich, Ein fuhrer. The spirit of unity.
- Fascism and Nazism were about victory and not defeat. How arousing and meaningful
these slogans would be. It was a religious cult. If you were on the inside, you were part
of the community that was strong and powerful. This is Nazism and power.
- By 1932 it’s the largest Political party in Germany. In 1933 Hitler was appointed
chancellor of Germany.