Why did fascism become popular in europe between ww1 and ww2?

Question

Thanks so much !! : ]

Answer 1

This question really needs to be answered separately for different European countries that became right-wing dictatorships between 1918 and 1939.

A few general points. Fascist (I will use the term loosely, strictly speaking it is specific to Italy: Germany was Nazi) ideas drew on developments in nineteenth century thought that stressed the importance of nationalism, developed ideas of inherited intelligence and interpreted the new science of genetics, and of evolution, in racist ways. To go into detail about this you would have to consider the work of philsophers like Hegel and Nietsche (neither were fascists, but their ideas influenced fascism) and of nineteent centruy scientists in foelds such as archaeology and philology (study of the origins of language).

The chaos caused by the First World War undoubtedly helped people look for new political systems. On the one hand the looked to communism, and fascism was a reaction to this by people who believed that human society was inevitably hierarchically structured. The needs for an alternative to communism made it attractive for financiers and industrialists to give fascists essential right-wing support. In Germany, willingness of right-wing parties, including the Nazis, to repudiate Versailles, and hence to rearm, was a major factor. However, the rise of Fascism cannot be ex[plained entirely in relation to the First World War because of the rise to power of Franco in Spain, which had been neutral (although it had been humiliated by the loss of its colonies in war between Spain and the United States in 1898).

The chronic economic depression of the years 1918 - 1940, and in particular of the great slump following 1929, appeared largely due the free market cultivated by liberal democracies, specifically the United States and United Kingdom, between the wars. However, an expanation along these lines needs to take into account that the Weimar republic of 1920s Germany was to a considerable extent run on democratic socialist principles as the Social Democrats were the largest party in the coalition governments. One might also ask why Thatcher's destruction of the UK economy between 1979 and 1983, when unemployment rose to 3 million, did not lead to similar political extremeism.

Issues relating to ideology, economics and the legacy of past conflicts are clearly important in explaining the rise of fascism. However, a short anwer is likely to be oversimplistic about them This is very dangerous. In recent years, politicians have got away with some very undesirable totalitarian policies. One reason is that if prewar precedents are pointed out the objector is too often criticised and ignored for labelling people as "fascist" instead of being listened to seriously.

Answer 2

Well, Nigel pretty much got it ... fascism arose as a direct response to the spread of communism. When the Allies devastated (and I mean, like, totally ruined) the economies of Germany and her allies following WWI, it created a power vacuum that was bound to be filled. More than Nature, politics hates a vacuum, and into that power void rushed the formerly fringe political theories of communism, eutopianism, democracy, fascism, and worse. Fascism appealed to the "organizer" types, since it concentrated power in the hands of the leaders, so it had an edge in the kind of guerilla warfare that obtained in the '20s and early '30s.
Fascism, fueled by fear of commies (they told the folks that the communists would take what they owned, so even some Jews supported the NAZI party, early on), the sense of helplessness that the Treaty of Versaille had imposed on Germany, and the brilliant leadership of Adolph Hitler, rose to power and brief glory and then fell to ruin and ultimate atrocity.

Answer 3

Fascism became popular after WWI thanks to The Great Depression also a lot of the nations that did go to fascism,did not a long legacy of democracy or a Republic government, also bitterness about either being cheap-skated after the Paris Peace Conference. The Fascism parties gave people hope for a brighter future and said that the government was inefficient to the needs of the people. The people with these words made people vote for them.

Answer 4

well, fascism in Italy succeeded because the conservative circles recognized the communists as the main threat and highly underestimated the right-wing parties. They falsely thought that they would be able to control Mussolini.
The main reason however, was that after the Great War many questions had remained unsolved. Italy was the loser among the winners and Germany was humiliated by the Versailles treaty. That caused huge disappointment among the German people and gave birth to radical nationalism.

Answer 5

Short answer:
The social/political landscape was devastated on an unprecedented scale in Europe. Economies were devastated. Powerful leaders with xenophobic agendas tapped into the deepest fears of the people. And won general support.

When people who were alive at the time when Hitler came to power are asked, "How could you get behind such an evil man" they generally answer, "He got the country working again. He gave us jobs."

People don't march into power on a fascist agenda right off the bat. If Hitler had begun his platform by announcing: "We're going to kill as many Jews as we possibly can" no one would have paid any attention to him.

Answer 6

Largely due to the great depression and fears of communist uprisings. The people were scared and clung to anything that offered them hope. Scary as it may sound Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini actually made good on their political promises albeit at a tremendous human cost.

Answer 7

Fascism After Ww1

Answer 8

theoretically it sounded good to the people who were slowly changing from monarchies and other governmental systems. The leaders promised the people things they thought they would never get under one of the old governments. Unfortunately none of it was true but that's life

Answer 9

germans wanted to rule the world bacause they wanted the same in ww1

Answer 10

k12 :) ~ answer ~ ( communism )