Fascism is a political ideology and movement that emerged in early 20th-century Europe. It is characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood, and the exaltation of the nation and often race above the individual. Fascism advocates for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and the forcible suppression of opposition. It often promotes the establishment of a totalitarian one-party state and a dirigiste economy, with the principal goal of achieving national economic self-sufficiency through economic interventionist policies.
The term "fascism" is derived from the Italian word "fascio," meaning bundle of sticks, which was the name given to political organizations in Italy known as "fasci," groups similar to guilds or syndicates. The movements origins can be traced back to the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, which met for the first time in 1919 in Milan, Italy, under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. Mussolini founded the Italian Fasces of Combat in Milan, which later became the National Fascist Party.
Fascism is characterized by the promotion of a forcibly monolithic, regimented nation under the control of an autocratic ruler. The word "fascism" comes from "fascio," the Italian word for bundle, which represents bundles of people. Its origins can be traced back to Ancient Rome, where the fasces, a bundle of wood with an ax head, was carried by leaders.
Fascism has had adherents in various parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, South Africa, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East. While major European fascist parties were broken up at the end of World War II, many fascist-oriented parties and movements were founded in Europe, Latin America, and South Africa in the late 1940s and beyond. Some European "neofascist" groups attracted large followings, especially in Italy and France, but none were as influential as the major fascist parties of the interwar period.
In summary, fascism is a complex political ideology and movement that has had a significant impact on history and continues to be a subject of study and concern in contemporary times.
