Fascism in Europe and Beyond examines fascism from its origins to the present.
It begins in the fin-de-siècle era when the various ideas that eventually coalesced into fascism first emerged and concludes with the re-emergence of fascist ideas in recent times. Historiographical discussions, illustrations, biographical textboxes and maps are interwoven into the text, while a valuable collection of primary documents can be found at the end of the book to facilitate further study.
Paul Baxa focuses primarily on European experiences in countries such as Germany, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, the UK, France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, but there is also significant coverage of imperial Japan and Cold War fascism in the shape of North American movements and leaders like Rockwell’s American Nazi Party. Baxa even discusses The World Union of National Socialists and its attempt to build a universal fascist movement after the Second World War.
The aims of the fascist movements, their social composition, and their actions are explored extensively in the book, while an emphasis is placed on the ‘cult of personality’ in driving fascism in its many manifestations. Baxa’s underlying assertion that fascism is primarily a cultural movement – a political cult in fact – that relies on charismatic leaders who have been able to articulate and project the fantasies and desires of their followers provides a consistent position throughout, one that both enriches and enlivens the text itself and that offers a useful jumping-off point for classroom discussions.
