Explain why Fascism can be described as a form of totalitarianism (10 marks)
Totalitarianism is a form of state structure in which the boundaries between public and private life are broken down and all elements of society become involved in the state (A01). Both Popper and Arendt suggested that rather than being its own ideology, Fascism is in fact a form of totalitarianism (A02 – excellent).
This is because the two share extremely similar virtues. For instance fascism adheres to wanting to politicise all of society, in contrast to extreme authoritarianism (A03). It also advocates a strong sense of expansionism, something which is associated with totalitarianism (A01). Fascism aims not only to control the politics of a nation, by violently removing all internal opposition, it also aims to indoctrinate all social and economic aspects of society (A02). This is in an attempt to create a new Fascist society and a new ‘Fascist man’ (A01), something a totalitarian regime would also wish to create. The two variants also both use organised mass terror as a means to strengthening the support of the state (A03).
This sort of management was found under both Hitler and Mussolini’s regimes during the 30s and 40s, (A01) bringing in fascist alternatives to almost anything including Reich Bank, church, universities, hospitals etc. Totalitarianism should also stretch to economic structures as it did in the USSR, but although both countries tried to adopt corporatism in an attempt to achieve autarky (A02) (Goring’s 4 year plans), both failed in this respect accepting differing levels of global capitalism, which undermines the securer nature of the state, and it questions whether they are totalitarian (A02).
Although fascist states can often be totalitarian, this does not make them not fascist due to their complex ideologies, and in the words of Wilford “behind the name, lives a thousand forms”
An answer such as this deserves full marks. Well done!
‘Race dominates fascist thinking’ Discuss with reference to both traditional and contemporary fascism (30 marks)
In this circumstance the theory of race refers to the concept that nature gives races their own cultural identities and natural inequalities, which can be compared. This was later developed by various philosophers and anthropologists, such as Galton who is seen as the inventor of eugenics (A03).
In traditional fascism, which is usually attributed to Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Nazi Germany, there is a differing relationship with race (A01). Although both forms believed in a continuing struggle (A02), influenced by Hegel’s idea of dialecticism (A03) and negation as well as Herbert Spencer’s “survival of the fittest”, they saw the object of the struggle differently. Mussolini believed in a struggle of nations (A02), whilst Hitler believed in ‘Volk’ (A01), which he wrote extensively in ‘Mein Kampf’ or my struggle, which was influenced by Fichte’s notion that the German race was the archetypal people to fight the enlightenment (A02). This concept of the ‘Nordic people’ being superior to others is also advocated by fellow racialists (A03) such as Gobineau, Spengler and Sorel who said that society and therefore races should be judged on their social and technological achievements, and therefore the northern Europeans were superior to Slavs, Africans, Arabs etc (A01). This was reverted back to the concept of struggle by Houston Chamberlain the creator of Social Darwinism, who was seen by many Nazis as a prophet (A02).
Fascists therefore advocate violence as a means to help their chances in the struggle and also the concept of removing ones opposition (A01). In Nazi Germany this referred to the mass extermination or final solution of the inferior or untermensch (A03) (a Nazi addition to Nietzsche’s concept of society), and especially the Jews who Hitler saw as being the worlds greatest evil (A01), with their ability to appear as the aspirational super race the Aryans, but secretly plot to destroy society via the finance sector in a Zionist plot (A02). This policy went further and also expanded into expansionism (A02) in regard to ‘lebensraum’ (A03) in the east, which was justified by destroying the weaker Slavs and repopulating the earth with a superior new ‘fascist man’(A01). It is important to mention that unlike Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s anti-Semitic policy was not inherent and was only introduced in 1938 as a means to strengthening the alliance with Germany (A01), the same goes for other fascist nations such as Romania (Iron Guard) (A02). Franco’s Spain, which although many have argued was more militaristic than fascists was not anti-Semitic, which suggests that race is not essential (A02).
In contemporary fascism, racialism has declined with the most recent example of racialism being Oswald Mosley’s post war Union movement (A01), which was an adaptation of the BUF which had anti-Semitic tendencies during World War 1. Since then, in Britain fascist parties have become more racist, or at least white supremacist (A02). Parties such as the National Front have advocated policy toward repatriation of ethnic minorities settled after 1950, and the ban of interracial marriage. This chauvinist rhetoric (A03) has carried on into the BNP who have become an alternative to New Labour. Although they have succumb to the constraints of democracy, still support policy removing Britain from Europe, keeping jobs for ‘Native Britons’, anti-Islamic laws, and until 2010 did not accept any non-white members into their party (A01), policies which would be popular amongst the conservative ‘Monday Club’ (A02). Fascism in the UK has also had links to non-political organisation such as the White defence League, or the League of St. George who still believe in a Zionist plot towards to the financial crisis (A02). There is also the extreme right wing grouping Combat 18 that takes its name from the 1st and 8th letters of the alphabet to honour Adolf Hitler (A01).
Traditional fascism suggests that race is not essential to its core belief, in the example of Italy or Spain, but the concept of German racism has lived on into contemporary fascism (A02). Although political theorists such as Griffin or Payne tell us that the has other key elements such as corporatism, populism, the need for a superman like leader, in the case of Payne, or National rebirth and mythology in Griffin’s, racism has become possibly the core element to fascism, as found in other now coined fascist parties such as The Golden Dawn, Front National, Lega Nord or even the Liberal Democrats in Russia (A01).
This is excellent and worthy of a good A/B grade. Well done! It is well written and very thorough.
To improve:
Mention the Nazi concept of a hierarchy of races and the idea that the racial laws introduced by Hitler in 1933 were presented as antidotes to the dangerous virus presented by the Jews.
Also mention other core values which define fascism (beyond racism/racialism) including ultranationalism (you mention lebensraum and expansionism), struggle (which you mention briefly), leadership/elites, corporatism and anti-rational/anti-intellectualism.