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The Anatomy of Fascism

By Robert O. Paxton

By Robert O. Paxton

By Robert O. Paxton

By Robert O. Paxton

Best Seller
Paperback $17.00

Mar 08, 2005 | ISBN 9781400033911

Ebook $12.99

Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307428127

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    The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton
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    Mar 08, 2005 | ISBN 9781400033911

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    About The Anatomy of Fascism

    What is fascism? By focusing on the concrete: what the fascists did, rather than what they said, the esteemed historian Robert O. Paxton answers this question.

    From the first violent uniformed bands beating up “enemies of the state,” through Mussolini’s rise to power, to Germany’s fascist radicalization in World War II, Paxton shows clearly why fascists came to power in some countries and not others, and explores whether fascism could exist outside the early-twentieth-century European setting in which it emerged.

    “A deeply intelligent and very readable book. . . . Historical analysis at its best.” –The Economist

    The Anatomy of Fascism will have a lasting impact on our understanding of modern European history, just as Paxton’s classic Vichy France redefined our vision of World War II. Based on a lifetime of research, this compelling and important book transforms our knowledge of fascism–“the major political innovation of the twentieth century, and the source of much of its pain.”

    About The Anatomy of Fascism

    What is fascism? By focusing on the concrete: what the fascists did, rather than what they said, the esteemed historian Robert O. Paxton answers this question.

    From the first violent uniformed bands beating up “enemies of the state,” through Mussolini’s rise to power, to Germany’s fascist radicalization in World War II, Paxton shows clearly why fascists came to power in some countries and not others, and explores whether fascism could exist outside the early-twentieth-century European setting in which it emerged.

    “A deeply intelligent and very readable book. . . . Historical analysis at its best.” –The Economist

    The Anatomy of Fascism will have a lasting impact on our understanding of modern European history, just as Paxton’s classic Vichy France redefined our vision of World War II. Based on a lifetime of research, this compelling and important book transforms our knowledge of fascism–“the major political innovation of the twentieth century, and the source of much of its pain.”

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Also by Robert O. Paxton

    Vichy France
    See all books by Robert O. Paxton

    Also by Robert O. Paxton

    Vichy France
    See all books by Robert O. Paxton

    About Robert O. Paxton

    Robert O. Paxton taught at Columbia University. His other books include Vichy France, Vichy France and the Jews (with Michael Marrus), Europe in the Twentieth Century, and French Peasant Fascism. He lives in New York City.

    About Robert O. Paxton

    Robert O. Paxton taught at Columbia University. His other books include Vichy France, Vichy France and the Jews (with Michael Marrus), Europe in the Twentieth Century, and French Peasant Fascism. He lives in New York City.

    Product Details

    Category: Politics | European World History

    Paperback | $17.00
    Published by Vintage
    Mar 08, 2005 | 336 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9781400033911

    Category: Politics | European World History

    Ebook | $12.99
    Published by Vintage
    Dec 18, 2007 | 336 Pages | ISBN 9780307428127

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    Praise

    “So fair, so thorough and, in the end, so convincing, it may well become the most authoritative . . . study of the subject. . . . A splendid book.” –The New York Times Book Review

    “Useful and timely. . . . Mussolini and Hitler were the prototypical fascist leaders, and Paxton chronicles their rise to power–and their global influence and ultimate fall–with a brilliant economy.” –San Francisco Chronicle

    “A deeply intelligent and very readable book. . . . Historical analysis at its best.” –The Economist

    “[A] helpful contribution, thoughtfully mapping out the descent of a civilized people — first the Italians, then the Germans — into a primal state (and state of being) ruled by mythology, symbol and emotion. . . . Serves as a reminder of our power and responsibility.” –The Washington Post Book World

    “Until now there has been no satisfying account of fascism that includes a convincing diagnostic kit for identifying its symptoms. . . . Robert Paxton steps in to restore sanity, with his view that fascism is not what was believed but what was done.” –Los Angeles Times Book Review

    Table Of Contents

    Preface

    Chapter 1 Introduction
    The Invention of Fascism
    Images of Fascism
    Strategies
    Where Do We Go from Here?

    Chapter 2 Creating Fascist Movements
    The Immediate Background
    Intellectual, Cultural, and Emotional Roots
    Long-Term Preconditions
    Precursors
    Recruitment
    Understanding Fascism by Its Origins

    Chapter 3 Taking Root
    Successful Fascisms
    —(1) The Po Valley, Italy, 1920–22
    —(2) Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 1928–33
    An Unsuccessful Fascism: France, 1924–40
    Some Other Unsuccessful Fascisms
    Comparisons and Conclusions

    Chapter 4 Getting Power
    Mussolini and the “March on Rome”
    Hitler and the “Backstairs Conspiracy”
    What Did Not Happen: Election, Coup d’Etat, Solo Triumph Forming Alliances
    What Fascists Offered the Establishment
    The Prefascist Crisis
    Revolutions after Power: Germany and Italy
    Comparisons and Alternatives

    Chapter 5 Exercising Power
    The Nature of Fascist Rule: “Dual State” and Dynamic Shapelessness
    The Tug-of-War between Fascists and Conservatives
    The Tug-of-War between Leader and Party
    The Tug-of-War between Party and State
    Accommodation, Enthusiasm, Terror
    The Fascist “Revolution”

    Chapter 6 The Long Term: Radicalization or Entropy?
    What Drives Radicalization?
    Trying to Account for the Holocaust
    Italian Radicalization: Internal Order, Ethiopia, Salò
    Final Thoughts

    Chapter 7 Other Times, Other Places
    Is Fascism Still Possible?
    Western Europe since 1945
    Post-Soviet Eastern Europe
    Fascism Outside Europe

    Chapter 8 What Is Fascism?
    Conflicting Interpretations
    Boundaries
    What Is Fascism?

    Bibliographical Essay
    Notes
    Index

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