Fascism - History and Theory

Across Europe and the world, far right parties have been enjoying greater electoral success than at any time since 1945. Right-wing street movements draw huge supporters and terrorist attacks on Jews and Muslims proliferate. It sometimes seems we are returning to the age of fascism.

To explain this disturbing trend, David Renton surveys the history of fascism in Europe from its pre-war origins to the present day, examining Marxist responses to fascism in the age of Hitler and Mussolini, the writings of Trotsky and Gramsci and contemporary theorists. Renton theorises that fascism was driven by the chaotic and unstable balance between reactionary ambitions and the mass character of its support. This approach will arm a new generation of anti-fascists to resist those who seek to re-enact fascism.

Rewritten and revised for the twentieth anniversary of its first publication, Renton's classic book synthesises the Marxist theory of fascism and updates it for our own times.

About the author

David Renton is a barrister, historian and anti-fascist activist. His previous books include The New Authoritarians: Convergence on the Right (Pluto, 2019).

Product details

• Authors: David Renton
• Publisher: Wiley
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 20.09.2020
• EAN: 9780745341194
• ISBN: 978-0-7453-4119-4
• Weight: 415 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, Political science & theory, Fascism & Nazism, Far-left political ideologies and movements, Far-right political ideologies and movements, Political science and theory, Marxism & Communism, Conservatism & right-of-centre democratic ideologies, Right-of-centre democratic ideologies