This page is a concept guide for exam use. For the full intellectual history of fascism as a political movement, see the Fascism Ideas page and the Fascism historiography page.
What fascism is
Fascism is a form of radical right-wing nationalism characterised by the rejection of liberal democracy, the glorification of violence and struggle, the subordination of the individual to the national community, and hostility to both Marxism and liberal capitalism. It is not the same as conservatism (which defends existing institutions and hierarchies), not the same as mere authoritarianism (which concentrates power without mobilising mass support), and not reducible to racism (though Italian Fascism and German National Socialism were both deeply racist).
The two key definitions
Roger Griffin’s ideological definition identifies the core of fascism as ‘palingenetic ultranationalism’ — a myth of national rebirth from decadence and humiliation. Fascism is defined by this founding myth: the vision of a regenerated national community purged of its enemies. This definition distinguishes fascism from mere authoritarianism and from conservatism, and allows Griffin to identify a ‘fascist minimum’ common to Italian Fascism, Nazism, Spanish Falangism, and other movements.
Robert Paxton’s behavioural definition argues that fascism is better understood through what fascist movements actually did rather than what they said. Paxton emphasises fascism’s mobilisation of mass emotion, its use of violence, its willingness to make tactical alliances with conservative elites, and its abandonment of ideological consistency in the pursuit of power. For Paxton, the test of whether a movement was fascist is how it behaved — especially in its relationship to the state, the military, and industrial capital.
How to use it in an answer
The fascism concept is tested directly in AO3 questions about the historiography of fascism, and implicitly in AO1 essays about Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, or the Spanish Civil War. When writing about fascism, demonstrate awareness of the definitional debate: Griffin’s ideological definition is more useful for explaining why people were attracted to fascist movements; Paxton’s behavioural definition is more useful for explaining what fascism did when it came to power. The best answers use both.
Further reading: Fascism (Ideas) · The Historiography of Fascism · Worked Example: Fascism (WJEC)
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