April 15, 2025 • 11 mins
In fascism, the needs of the people bow to the needs of the State, and violent, authoritarian leaders demand unity, sacrifice, and a strict social heirarchy in order to enact constant conquest to bring glory to the State. Learn more about the past and present of fascism in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/fascism-movement.htm
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren
volgeban here. In nineteen twenty two, Benito Mussolini gained control
of Italy and introduced the world to fascism, a political
movement that eventually brought the world to war. Mussolini didn't
(00:22):
invent the fascist movement, but he did coin the term
and define the Italian fascist movement. In nineteen thirty two,
he wrote that fascism quote believes neither in the possibility
nor the utility of peace. In fascism, the state is
all that matters, and constant conquest is a necessity for
(00:45):
the glory of that state. The success and glory of
the people comes by extension. War alone brings up to
its highest tension, all human energy, and puts the stamp
of nobility upon the peoples who have courage to meet it.
Fascism is a word thrown around a lot these days.
(01:05):
Some use the term to describe any authoritarian person or government,
especially one that rules by violent means, but authoritarianism is
only part of the fascist philosophy. For example, Communism under
Joseph Stalin was authoritarian and extraordinarily violent, but communism calls
for an erasure of class divides. In that way, fascism,
(01:29):
with its focus on a hierarchy of superiority, stands in
direct opposition to communism. The word fascism comes from the
Italian term fascio, meaning bundle. Mussolini first used the word
fascism in nineteen nineteen. It has its roots in the
Latin word fascis, which described a bundle of sticks tied
(01:51):
to a single axe head. The fascis was a symbol
of unity and righteous power in ancient Rome. One might
say the fascian embodies the essence of fascism. The people
are the sticks, tied together and to the state to
form a strong, single unit, the state being the axe head,
which has the power to create, to enforce, and to obliterate. Today,
(02:18):
let's look closely a fascism find out what the term
really means and how the ideology has been used to
unite nations and divide the world. We'll also see what
conditions must exist for fascism to seem appealing. What does
it take for millions of individuals to support a philosophy
that explicitly negates their personal value. Fascism is notoriously difficult
(02:44):
to define because it has no single philosophy. Mussolini's brand
of Italian fascism with a capital F isn't exactly like
Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler's brand of fascism with a
lowercase F, and both are different from the neo fascist
views of groups like the Skinheads post World War Two. Still,
(03:05):
there are some core principles that identify a fascist movement
and a fascist party. First, there's a concept of survival
of the fittest. Some fascists were influenced by the writings
of Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. In
the context of fascism, the state is only as powerful
(03:25):
as its ability to wage wars and win them. The
state is thereby selected for survival due to its strength
and dominance. Peace is viewed as weakness aggression as strength.
Under fascism, a strength is the ultimate good and ensures
the survival of the state. Then there's a sense of
(03:47):
a strict social order. Fascism maintains an unbendable class structure,
purportedly to avoid any hint of chaos, which is a
threat to the state. The state's power depends on the
maintenance of class system, in which every person has a definite, unchangeable,
specific role in glorifying the state. It's an absolute rejection
(04:09):
of humanism and democracy. Next, there's authoritarian leadership. The state's
interests require a single, charismatic leader with absolute authority. This
is the concept of the leadership principle that it's necessary
to have an all powerful and heroic leader to maintain
(04:29):
the unity and unquestioning submission of the people that the
fascist state requires. This leader often becomes a symbol of
the state. Fascist regimes are also typically violent. In fascist ideology,
physical violence is necessary to suppress anyone who stands outside
the group and in the way of the state's power. Ever,
(04:52):
increasing strength is in effect the very meaning of life.
So what are the goals of fascism? While the fascist
state is the center of the universe, the primary goal
of fascism is social regeneration, the lifting up of a
particular class of people. Regeneration is achieved through national unity
(05:15):
and a rejection of individualism. This requires the people's initial support.
A fascist regime generally gains the support by promoting a
series of ideas through the media, public rallies, and other
forms of propaganda. These ideas can include a nationing crisis,
that is that the state is in decline and that
(05:36):
it's only getting worse. In fascist ideology, there are two
primary causes for this decline. The variety of racial or
ethnic groups in the state, which makes the state impure
and weakens it, and a conspiracy by certain racial, ethnic,
or national groups to keep the state down. There's also
(05:58):
the concept of an idealized past that the state is
currently damaged but was once supreme. A fascism aspires toward
the renewal of the state and its primary ethnic group
to some past era of glory, which upon examination of history,
is mythical. And then there's a fascist concept of a
(06:21):
need for social change that the people must submit to
major changes, including a new social structure and way of life,
in order to achieve this mythical revival. Because that last
one is difficult to swallow. Fascism arises from poor socioeconomic conditions,
like those of post World War two Japan or post
(06:43):
World War I Europe. The countries that were defeated in
World War One suffered greatly from the restrictions placed on
them after the war. In Germany, a fascist government promised
to return to a better life and a better position
in the world. In fascism, remember, individuals exist only in
relation to the state. From Mussolini and Hitler, the principles
(07:07):
of democracy and capitalism, which stemmed from the European Enlightenment
movement of the seventeen hundreds, stood in the way of
the power of the state. In fascist terms, these trends,
based on concepts of individuality, equality, and positive self interest,
limited the unity and the drive for survival necessary for
(07:29):
social renewal. Mussolini wrote in nineteen thirty two, quote Fascism
denies the absurd conventional truth of political equality, the myth
of happiness and indefinite progress. By dispelling the idea of happiness,
a fascist society is able to constrain its people and
convince them to submit for the greater good. People cannot
(07:52):
gather without permission, and they can't say anything negative against
the state. Instead, there submerged in extreme nationalism and ethnic unity.
Political youth groups recruit the younger members of society, teach
them about the state, and entrust them with its survival
and its power. A fascism glorifies youth, which makes sense
(08:14):
if you consider the ideal of survival of the fittest.
The young are the strongest and thus the fittest. The
state sponsored rallies and parades dominates social life. National flags
and imposing monuments loom over the landscape, and state holidays
fill the calendar. These symbols and celebrations have a quasi
(08:34):
religious quality, in that they encourage absolute faith, just in
the state, not in a creator. Fascism was at its
height between nineteen eighteen and nineteen forty five, the end
of World War I through the end of World War II.
Europe's general upheaval during that period left it receptive to
(08:55):
fascist propaganda and ideology, but when the Axis powers, including
Germany and Italy were defeated, their fascist regimes became widely
viewed as evil, inextricably tied to genocide and World war. However,
the fall of true fascism didn't destroy the concept. Neo fascism,
(09:17):
sometimes called neo Nazism if it's specifically based on Hitler's views,
has popped up many times since the end of World
War II. Today, neo fascism describes a variety of separate
movements around the world that espoused the ideals of power
supremacy and ethnic purity. These groups often haven't had the
power to pursue the conquering military component of original fascism,
(09:42):
but they do sometimes practice the violence. For example, in
the nineteen nineties alone, neo fascists took responsibility for the
bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City, a series
of bombings in Germany targeting immigrants, and several bombings in
London against racial, minority and gay people. Neo fascist political
(10:04):
movements that ascribe to some traditionally fascist ideals like racial
purity and the dominance of state interests might pursue these
ideals in several forms, for example, anti immigration laws and
isolationist foreign policies. They often enact small but increasing limitations
on civil rights a made in the name of giving
(10:25):
a state more power to protect the populace from external aggressors,
and there's often government intervention in economic matters such as
means of production in the name of securing the state
from shortages and economic downturns. A Neo fascists attempt to
gain support and power the same way other modern movements do,
(10:47):
the political involvement, media presence, and all sorts of online marketing.
Anti fascist activism, meanwhile, often further includes community organizing such
as workers' rights and mutual campaigns in order to help
prevent that economic desperation in which fascism has historically taken hold.
(11:12):
Today's episode is based on the article how Fascism Works
on how stuffworks dot Com, written by Julia Layton and
John Donovan. Brain Stuff is production by Heart Radio in
partnership with HowStuffWorks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Brainstuff Lauren
volgeban here. In nineteen twenty two, Benito Mussolini gained control
of Italy and introduced the world to fascism, a political
movement that eventually brought the world to war. Mussolini didn't
(00:22):
invent the fascist movement, but he did coin the term
and define the Italian fascist movement. In nineteen thirty two,
he wrote that fascism quote believes neither in the possibility
nor the utility of peace. In fascism, the state is
all that matters, and constant conquest is a necessity for
(00:45):
the glory of that state. The success and glory of
the people comes by extension. War alone brings up to
its highest tension, all human energy, and puts the stamp
of nobility upon the peoples who have courage to meet it.
Fascism is a word thrown around a lot these days.
(01:05):
Some use the term to describe any authoritarian person or government,
especially one that rules by violent means, but authoritarianism is
only part of the fascist philosophy. For example, Communism under
Joseph Stalin was authoritarian and extraordinarily violent, but communism calls
for an erasure of class divides. In that way, fascism,
(01:29):
with its focus on a hierarchy of superiority, stands in
direct opposition to communism. The word fascism comes from the
Italian term fascio, meaning bundle. Mussolini first used the word
fascism in nineteen nineteen. It has its roots in the
Latin word fascis, which described a bundle of sticks tied
(01:51):
to a single axe head. The fascis was a symbol
of unity and righteous power in ancient Rome. One might
say the fascian embodies the essence of fascism. The people
are the sticks, tied together and to the state to
form a strong, single unit, the state being the axe head,
which has the power to create, to enforce, and to obliterate. Today,
(02:18):
let's look closely a fascism find out what the term
really means and how the ideology has been used to
unite nations and divide the world. We'll also see what
conditions must exist for fascism to seem appealing. What does
it take for millions of individuals to support a philosophy
that explicitly negates their personal value. Fascism is notoriously difficult
(02:44):
to define because it has no single philosophy. Mussolini's brand
of Italian fascism with a capital F isn't exactly like
Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler's brand of fascism with a
lowercase F, and both are different from the neo fascist
views of groups like the Skinheads post World War Two. Still,
(03:05):
there are some core principles that identify a fascist movement
and a fascist party. First, there's a concept of survival
of the fittest. Some fascists were influenced by the writings
of Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. In
the context of fascism, the state is only as powerful
(03:25):
as its ability to wage wars and win them. The
state is thereby selected for survival due to its strength
and dominance. Peace is viewed as weakness aggression as strength.
Under fascism, a strength is the ultimate good and ensures
the survival of the state. Then there's a sense of
(03:47):
a strict social order. Fascism maintains an unbendable class structure,
purportedly to avoid any hint of chaos, which is a
threat to the state. The state's power depends on the
maintenance of class system, in which every person has a definite, unchangeable,
specific role in glorifying the state. It's an absolute rejection
(04:09):
of humanism and democracy. Next, there's authoritarian leadership. The state's
interests require a single, charismatic leader with absolute authority. This
is the concept of the leadership principle that it's necessary
to have an all powerful and heroic leader to maintain
(04:29):
the unity and unquestioning submission of the people that the
fascist state requires. This leader often becomes a symbol of
the state. Fascist regimes are also typically violent. In fascist ideology,
physical violence is necessary to suppress anyone who stands outside
the group and in the way of the state's power. Ever,
(04:52):
increasing strength is in effect the very meaning of life.
So what are the goals of fascism? While the fascist
state is the center of the universe, the primary goal
of fascism is social regeneration, the lifting up of a
particular class of people. Regeneration is achieved through national unity
(05:15):
and a rejection of individualism. This requires the people's initial support.
A fascist regime generally gains the support by promoting a
series of ideas through the media, public rallies, and other
forms of propaganda. These ideas can include a nationing crisis,
that is that the state is in decline and that
(05:36):
it's only getting worse. In fascist ideology, there are two
primary causes for this decline. The variety of racial or
ethnic groups in the state, which makes the state impure
and weakens it, and a conspiracy by certain racial, ethnic,
or national groups to keep the state down. There's also
(05:58):
the concept of an idealized past that the state is
currently damaged but was once supreme. A fascism aspires toward
the renewal of the state and its primary ethnic group
to some past era of glory, which upon examination of history,
is mythical. And then there's a fascist concept of a
(06:21):
need for social change that the people must submit to
major changes, including a new social structure and way of life,
in order to achieve this mythical revival. Because that last
one is difficult to swallow. Fascism arises from poor socioeconomic conditions,
like those of post World War two Japan or post
(06:43):
World War I Europe. The countries that were defeated in
World War One suffered greatly from the restrictions placed on
them after the war. In Germany, a fascist government promised
to return to a better life and a better position
in the world. In fascism, remember, individuals exist only in
relation to the state. From Mussolini and Hitler, the principles
(07:07):
of democracy and capitalism, which stemmed from the European Enlightenment
movement of the seventeen hundreds, stood in the way of
the power of the state. In fascist terms, these trends,
based on concepts of individuality, equality, and positive self interest,
limited the unity and the drive for survival necessary for
(07:29):
social renewal. Mussolini wrote in nineteen thirty two, quote Fascism
denies the absurd conventional truth of political equality, the myth
of happiness and indefinite progress. By dispelling the idea of happiness,
a fascist society is able to constrain its people and
convince them to submit for the greater good. People cannot
(07:52):
gather without permission, and they can't say anything negative against
the state. Instead, there submerged in extreme nationalism and ethnic unity.
Political youth groups recruit the younger members of society, teach
them about the state, and entrust them with its survival
and its power. A fascism glorifies youth, which makes sense
(08:14):
if you consider the ideal of survival of the fittest.
The young are the strongest and thus the fittest. The
state sponsored rallies and parades dominates social life. National flags
and imposing monuments loom over the landscape, and state holidays
fill the calendar. These symbols and celebrations have a quasi
(08:34):
religious quality, in that they encourage absolute faith, just in
the state, not in a creator. Fascism was at its
height between nineteen eighteen and nineteen forty five, the end
of World War I through the end of World War II.
Europe's general upheaval during that period left it receptive to
(08:55):
fascist propaganda and ideology, but when the Axis powers, including
Germany and Italy were defeated, their fascist regimes became widely
viewed as evil, inextricably tied to genocide and World war. However,
the fall of true fascism didn't destroy the concept. Neo fascism,
(09:17):
sometimes called neo Nazism if it's specifically based on Hitler's views,
has popped up many times since the end of World
War II. Today, neo fascism describes a variety of separate
movements around the world that espoused the ideals of power
supremacy and ethnic purity. These groups often haven't had the
power to pursue the conquering military component of original fascism,
(09:42):
but they do sometimes practice the violence. For example, in
the nineteen nineties alone, neo fascists took responsibility for the
bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City, a series
of bombings in Germany targeting immigrants, and several bombings in
London against racial, minority and gay people. Neo fascist political
(10:04):
movements that ascribe to some traditionally fascist ideals like racial
purity and the dominance of state interests might pursue these
ideals in several forms, for example, anti immigration laws and
isolationist foreign policies. They often enact small but increasing limitations
on civil rights a made in the name of giving
(10:25):
a state more power to protect the populace from external aggressors,
and there's often government intervention in economic matters such as
means of production in the name of securing the state
from shortages and economic downturns. A Neo fascists attempt to
gain support and power the same way other modern movements do,
(10:47):
the political involvement, media presence, and all sorts of online marketing.
Anti fascist activism, meanwhile, often further includes community organizing such
as workers' rights and mutual campaigns in order to help
prevent that economic desperation in which fascism has historically taken hold.
(11:12):
Today's episode is based on the article how Fascism Works
on how stuffworks dot Com, written by Julia Layton and
John Donovan. Brain Stuff is production by Heart Radio in
partnership with HowStuffWorks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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