How useful is the concept of modernisation in understanding the origins and aims of Fascism and Nazism?

Résumé du document

According to Detlev J.K. Peukert in the "Weimar Republic; The crisis of Classical Modernity", Fascism is the result of modernity crisis. Several authors have tried different approaches in order to understand and define what fascism is all about. In fact, there is no clear, objective definition; but most of the authors agree to define fascism as an ideal type. According to Max Weber, this concept is called generic fascism. It can be concluded that fascism is a constructed definition. It has set up a sort of ideology, essence and common characteristics of fascist regime, such as Nazism and Fascism in order to understand it. The concept of modernization appears to be the starting point in our understanding of the origins and aims of Fascism and Nazism. For example the first point of Griffin's definition of fascism is that: it is a political phenomenon against modernity and especially against liberal society.

Extraits

[...] Mussolini wanted to give Italy the place it deserved in the industrialized and developed world. In order to reach this aim and set up and Empire as the Roman did, Fascism modernized the economy. According to A.James Gregor some political movement such as the Futurism of Marinetti (one of the cadres of the party) which claimed the virtue of mechanization the “beauty of the speed” the Italian Nationalism of Enrico Corradini which claimed that Italy needed to accelerate its economical development and Revolutionary were deeply involve in the Fascist party. [...]

[...] For example the set up of the trade Union and anti- parliamentarism doctrine in the Fascist regime wasn't a reaction against capitalism or aimed destroy the class society; in fact it was a way to place under control the workers under the Fascist party. We can notice that the policies encouraged big business, and supported capitalist's elite. All this controversies reveal the limit of the usefulness of the concept. In fact, Fascism was pro futurist and widely recognize the benefit of modernization in its economy and political life whereas Nazism developed what Detlev J.K. Peukert call a ‘third way' or ‘Sonderwerg' which is not capitalism neither socialism and opposite to what he called the “western society” (15). [...]

[...] Theories, Causes and the New Consensus (London 1998) - In Roger Griffin, Fascism, (Oxford Readers 1995): P48: Cruzio Malaparte , Fascism's European Mission, Living Europe: The History and Theory of National Syndicalism, (Vallechi: Florence, 1961; first pub.1923) P 463-7. * P 295: Henry A. Turner Jun, In Utopian and anti-modernism, Fascism and Modernization, in H. A. Turner Reapraisals of Fascism (Franklin Watts: New York P131-2) P 98: Paul De Lagarde, Die graue Internationale, in Deutsche Schriften (Eugen Diederichs: Jena, 1944: ist edn.1886) P319-37) - From the introduction by Fritz Stern to his, The Politics of Cultural Despair: A study in the rise of the Germanic ideology, (Berkley: University of Carolina Press 1961) pp.xvi-xxi, xxix-xxx. [...]

[...] How useful is the concept of modernisation in understanding the origins and aims of Fascism and Nazism? According to Detlev J.K. Peukert in the “Weimar Republic; The crisis of Classical Modernity”, Fascism is the result of ‘crisis modernity' Several authors have tried different approaches in order to understand and define what fascism is all about. In fact, there is no clear, objective definition; but most of the authors agree to define fascism as an ‘ideal type' according to Max Weber this concept is called ‘generic fascism' It results that fascism is a constructed definition which set up a sort of ideology, essence, common characteristics of fascist regime such as Nazism and Fascism in order to understand it. [...]

[...] So, how useful is the concept of modernisation in understanding the origins and aims of Fascism and Nazism? In a first part, we will see that the concept of modernization is the starting point of our understanding of Nazism and Fascism origins and aims, then, in a second part we will show that there is a limit in the usefulness of this concept. First of all, origins of Fascist and Nazism is directly linked with its reaction, resistance and total reject of ‘modern spirit' Secondly the concept of modernization is an issue to understand why Fascism and Nazism seized power. [...]