nationalsyndicalist

Nationalsyndicalism, or national syndicalism, is an ideological current within certain interwar fascist movements that seeks to fuse nationalism with a syndicalist economic framework. It advocates a corporatist economy organized into sectoral syndicates representing workers and employers, with the state exercising control to coordinate production, wages, and social policy. The aim is to resolve class tensions through national unity rather than liberal democracy or revolutionary conflict.

Origins and development: The term was used by Italian fascists in the 1920s as part of a corporatist program, and was later adopted by Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista in Spain as a core element of their doctrine. Variants emerged in other movements, often blending national loyalty, anti-liberalism, and anti-communism with centralized authority. The precise interpretation varied, ranging from emphasis on social welfare to acceptance of strong state coercion.

Core tenets and features: anti-liberal and anti-socialist; rejection of parliamentary pluralism; belief in national destiny and hierarchical social order; the economy organized through syndicates under state oversight; suppression or co-optation of independent labor unions and political pluralism; militaristic and ceremonial nationalism.

Criticism and legacy: National syndicalism is widely associated with fascist movements and is criticized for its authoritarianism, suppression of dissent, and use of violence. After World War II, it declined as a distinct political doctrine, though corporatist and state-directed economic ideas persisted in various regimes under different labels.

See also: corporatism, fascism, syndicalism.