Fascismen

Fascismen is a political ideology and set of movements that emerged in the early 20th century, characterized by anti-liberal, anti-democratic, and ultranationalist aims. The term derives from the Italian fascio, meaning a bundle, symbolizing unity and strength, and was popularized by the Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini. In scholarly discourse, fascism is often treated as a distinct regime type or ideological family rather than a single, uniform doctrine.

Core features commonly associated with fascism include a centralized, one-party state led by a charismatic leader; a rejection of parliamentary democracy and liberal pluralism; aggressive nationalism and a myth of national rebirth; and the use of mass mobilization, propaganda, and violence to achieve political ends. Fascist movements typically cultivate a sense of unity through militarism, discipline, and sometimes forms of corporatism, aiming to subordinate individual interests to the presumed national will.

Economic policies within fascist regimes varied, but many pursued state-directed economies that coordinated relations among the state, employers, and workers, often suppressing independent labor movements. Civil liberties are generally curtailed, with censorship, surveillance, and repression of opposition parties, minorities, and critics.

Internationally, fascist movements often pursued revisionist or expansionist aims, seeking to restore perceived national prestige and remedy perceived humiliations from past conflicts. While most scholars associate fascism with the regimes of Mussolini in Italy and, in its most extreme form, Nazi Germany, fascist currents appeared in other countries as well, sometimes adapting to local conditions.

After World War II, fascism declined as a governing doctrine, though neo-fascist and far-right movements have continued to cite fascist symbols or ideas. The term remains a subject of ongoing historical and political debate regarding its precise boundaries and definitions.