This last point is of particular interest because Paxton uses it to diminish the myth of Mussolini’s “March on Rome” – in other words, he argues that fascists didn’t merely use brute force to gain power. While violence was a tool of both parties, arguably, the unwillingness of conservatives elected to work with socialists and communists was critical to their rise. He compares how both of these countries gained support. To do this, Paxton examines the history of German and Italian fascism fairly in-depth. Paxton presents the history of fascism in a way which demonstrates that the complex ways authoritarians took power and some of the nuances which differentiate one fascist movement from another. Explanations that often missed the key reasons for the rise of fascism, especially in Germany and Italy. One of Paxton’s greatest strengths in The Anatomy of Fascism is that he successfully examines how fascism operated in Italy and Germany while also rightly dismissing theories which explained away the rise fascism with simplistic explanations. Fascists successfully took advantage of democratic institutions for non-democratic ends. His portrayal of the rise of fascism was as much a failure of democracy as it was the rise of an authoritarian group of thugs.

Paxton's view of these two movements makes his argument convincing. The comparison demonstrates clear parallels between the two countries' fascist movements as well as the failure of democracy in each of these two countries. Paxton carefully examines the history of fascist movements in GermanyPaxton'sly, which provides insight into the history of those two countries at pivotal moments. These appeals continue after taking power – something characteristic of both countries' and Benito Mussolini’s reign in their respective countries.įascism Unveiled: Understanding its Historical Roots, Key Characteristics, and Contemporary Relevance For example, Paxton argues that one of the defining qualities of a fascist power is its appeals to the public and popular support in the years before their ascension to power.

He trys to understand the differences not just in how authoritarian leaders got into power, but in their actions once they Mussolini'srol. Paxton examines the examples of Fascist Italy and Hitler's Germany in comparison to each other – and occasionally in contrast to different regimes often considered fascist, such as Francoist Spain. To define the boundaries and stages that make up fascism, Paxton spends the majority of the book examining fascism in two of the locations where it was most successful, violent, and noteworthy: Italy and Germany.

Paxton examines fascist movements, primarily in Germany and Italy, to create a thorough explanationHitler's constitutes fascism.

The anatomy of fascism