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RedEarth7421

Hello,

Can someone explain to me what fascism is, please?

Thank you !

Katia K

Hello,

Thank you for your question! :)

Fascism is "a radical right-wing political ideology particularly opposing democracy, individualism, economic freedom, parliamentarism, communism and socialism". Fascism is opposed therefore to the power held by the people (democracy), to the rights of individuals as being superior to those of society (individualism), to the capitalist economic system (economic freedom), to the separation of legislative and executive powers ( parliamentarism) and, finally, equality between individuals and the abolition of social classes (socialism and communism).

Fascism has several characteristics:

• the establishment of an all-powerful state led by a single political party;
• the cult of the political leader;
• ethnic nationalism defending the existence of a supposed hierarchy between the different peoples, some being therefore inferior to others

Fascism was born in Italy under Benito Mussolini in 1922. The Great Economic Depression of the 1930s promoted the rise of new socialist parties, communists and even fascists all over the world. Fascism even won some supporters in Quebec, called the Blue Shirts, who supported the anti-Semitism (hostility and racism against Jews) of the National Social Christian Party (PNSC) of Adrien Arcand. For its part, the German Nazism (1933-1945) of Adolf Hitler is a form of extreme fascism which led to policies of extermination of several peoples and in particular of the Jews.

Please don't hesitate to write to us again if you have any other questions! :)