Rise of Fascism, Nazism

 Rise of Fascism, Nazism

Fascism was one ideology which developed in the period after the First World War, especially in the defeated countries. It emphasised the idea of national unity in order to expand and win over other nations. Fascists didn’t allow anyone to conflict nor have different interests within the nation. They suppressed people with force in order to ensure absolute loyalty and obedience to a central power. They were against both communism and liberalism. Fascists wanted to build unity in their nations through a dictatorial state that promoted the mass mobilization of the majority community of the nation. Fascist movements shared certain common features, like the worshipping of the state, a devotion to a strong leader like Hitler, and an emphasis on extreme nationalism and military conquest. Fascism used political violence, war, and conquest as a means to achieve national revival.

 It also asserted that stronger nations have the right, and indeed a duty, to expand their territory by displacing weaker nations. It stood for state controlled capitalism and opposed socialism and communism. It also stood for abolition of all private industries. This ideology was more popular in the defeated countries who were feeling insulted because of the conditions imposed on them by the Versailles treaty and the pressure of world-wide depression.

 It first began with the victory of Benito Mussolini in Italy in 1922; then Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933; General Franco came to power in Spain after a long military campaign against the democratic state in 1939; meanwhile Japan is also developed its own version of fascist ideology i.e. militarism and started its military campaigns in China, Korea etc. All these dictators were, in some ways, followers of the Fascist ideology.

 Hitler was a powerful speaker. His passion and his words moved many people. He promised to build a strong nation, undo the injustice of the Versailles Treaty and restore the dignity of the German people. He promised employment for those looking for work, and a secure future for the youth. He promised to remove all foreign influences and fight all foreign ‘conspiracies’ against Germany. Hitler devised a new style of politics. He understood the importance of rituals and spectacle to mobilise the masses. Nazis held massive rallies and public meetings to demonstrate the support for Hitler and create a sense of unity among the people. The Red banners with the Swastika, the Nazi salute, and the ritual rounds of applause after the speeches were all part of this display of power. Hitler mobilized his supporters by promising to establish the racial supremacy of Aryans (Germans) over the world. He also targeted minority communities like Jews, Gypsies etc, as the main cause of all problems. Since the Gypsies were nomadic and some Jews owned pawn shops and lent money, many middle class Germans could be turned against them.

 He also attacked Communism and Capitalism terming both of them as Jewish conspiracies. He promised to build a strong state which would fight with both of them. He appealed especially to the middle class who felt threatened by capitalism and the Great Depression. Hitler was also opposed to working class movement led by the Communists and Socialists. In such a situation, Nazi Party’s propaganda gave some hopes of a better future. Hitler was the unquestioned leader of the Nazi party. In 1928, the Nazi Party had got less than 2. 6 per cent votes in the Reichstag – the lower house of the German parliament. But by 1932, it had become the largest party in Germany with 37 per cent votes. Hitler came to power and immediately took steps to establish an undemocratic and autocratic rule. He stopped the working of all democratic institutions like Parliament. This included arbitrary arrest of political opponents, especially the Communists and putting them in concentration camps.

On 3rd March 1933, the famous Enabling Act was passed. This Act established dictatorship in Germany. It gave Hitler all powers to sideline Parliament and rule by his order. All political parties and trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party and its affiliates. The state established complete control over the economy, media, army and judiciary. 

Special surveillance and security forces were created to control and order society in ways that the Nazis wanted. Apart from the already existing regular police in green uniform and the SA or the Storm Troopers, they also formed the Gestapo (secret state police), the SS (the protection squads), criminal police and the Security Service (SD). These extraconstitutional powers of these newly organised forces gave the Nazi state its reputation as the most dreaded criminal state.

 Gestapo had the authority to stop and detain people to torture chambers, round up and send them to concentration camps. They could also deport anyone at will or arrest people without any legal procedures. The police forces acquired complete powers to rule. These powers were used to arrest and torture millions of political activists, trade unionists and people of minority communities, especially the Jews. They did all this to build a state of horror and fear.