fascism

fascism făshˈĭzəm [key], totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life. The name was first used by the party started by Benito Mussolini, who ruled Italy from 1922 until the Italian defeat in World War II. However, it has also been applied to similar ideologies in other countries, e.g., to National Socialism in Germany and to the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain. The term is derived from the Latin fasces.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Fascism in the 21st Century
• Fascism since World War II
• Emergence after World War I
• Origins of Fascism
• The Fascist State
• Characteristics of Fascist Philosophy
• Bibliography

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