Fascism and the Radical Right in Twentieth Century Europe
Fall, 2003
Professor Patrick Young
542-2331
Office hours: Wednesday, 10-12 and by appointment
Course Description:
This course will explore the deep and enduring appeal of fascism and far rightist politics in twentieth century Europe. Beginning with the nationalist revival and cultural crisis of the late nineteenth century and the cataclysm of World War I, we will trace the rise of the radical right to political prominence in Europe in the 1920’s and 1930’s. While retaining a Europe-wide perspective throughout, we will analyze in particular detail the Fascist and National Socialist seizures of power in Italy and Germany, and examine their efforts of political, social, economic and cultural mobilization. Issues covered will include fascist political communication and governance, terror and “normality” in everyday life, labor and youth policy, racism and racial purification, and gender and reproductive politics, among others. In the final section of the course, we will contemplate the legacy of fascism, focusing on the politics of memory and representation in post-war Germany, Italy and Europe more generally, and assessing the recent resurgence of fascist and quasi-fascist political tendencies in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Required Texts (available in bookstore):
William Sheridan Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single
Town, 1930-35
Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland
Françoise Gaspard, A SmallCity in France: A Socialist Mayor Confronts Neofascism
Victoria de Grazia, How Fascism Ruled Women: Italy 1922-1945
Ian Kershaw, The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation
Stanley Payne, Fascism, 1914-1945
Detlev Peukert, Inside Nazi Germany: Racism, Conformity and Opposition in Everyday Life
Dennis Mack Smith, Mussolini
Copies of these books will also be placed on reserve at the library. Additional readings will be incorporated into a course packet, and made available at the beginning of the semester.
*While there are no formal course prerequisites for this seminar, students who have not taken college-level courses in modern European history may wish to become more familiar with the history of Europe in the period from 1900 to 1945 by reading a reliable textbook in the first weeks of the semester. I have placed Mark Mazower’s Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century on reserve, for that purpose.
Course Requirements
The main requirement for the course is a seminar research paper of 20-25 pages on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor. These papers must conform to the department’s “Guidelines for Research Papers”, which are attached to this syllabus. Please note below the due dates for submission of topic and bibliography, oral presentation of findings, first draft and final paper.
Students who are not history majors can opt to write three 7-8-page papers, in lieu of the research paper. Due dates and topics to be arranged.
In addition, students will sign up to be the lead discussant for a class of their choosing over the course of the semester. The role will entail assuming primary responsibility for discussion of that day’s readings.
Schedule of Classes
9/10 Course Introduction; What is Fascism? Why study Fascism?
Payne, Fascism, 1914-1945, introduction.
Roger Griffin, Fascism, introduction, packet
Kershaw, The Nazi Dictatorship, chapter 1
Mussolini, “Fundamental Ideas” and “Political and Social Doctrine”, packet
Part One: How Fascism Came to Power
9/17 Origins of Fascism: Liberal Crisis, Nationalism and World War
Payne, chapters 1-3, pp. 23-79
Gustave Le Bon, The Crowd, Book I, packet
Georges Sorel, “Reflections on Violence”, packet
Vilfredo Pareto, “Politics and the Nonrational”, packet
“The War and European Consciousness”, packet
Smith, Mussolini, chapters 1-3, pp. 1-34
9/24 Early Fascism: Fascist Doctrines and the Seizure of Power in Italy
Payne, chapter 4-5, pp. 80-146
Smith, chapters 4-6, pp. 35-86
Early Fascist documents, packet
*topic proposals and preliminary bibliographies due
10/1 Germany: From Weimar to Hitler
Payne, chapter 6, pp. 147-175
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, “Propaganda and Organization”, packet
William Sheridan Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power
Kershaw, chapter 2
Part Two: Fascism in Power
10/8 Structures of Rule
Payne, chapters 6-7, pp. 176-244
Smith, chapters 7-10, pp. 87-187
Kershaw, chapters 3-4
Ian Kershaw, “Hitler and the Germans”, packet
10/15 Fascism and Society: The Politics of Everyday Life
Peukert, Inside Nazi Germany
Kershaw, chapters 7-8
*meetings with Professor Young
10/22 Fascism and Society: Women, Family and Reproductive Politics
Victoria de Grazia, How Fascism Ruled Women
Adelheid von Saldern, “Victims or Perpetrators? Controversies about the role of women in the NaziState”, packet
*meetings with Professor Young
10/29 Fascism and Culture: Was There a Fascist Aesthetic?
“The Futurist Manifesto”, packet
Richard Jensen, “Futurism and Fascism”, packet
George Mosse, “The Political Culture of Italian Futurism: A General Perspective”, packet
Susan Sontag, “Fascinating Fascism”, packet
*film: “Triumph of the Will” (1935), Leni Riefenstahl
11/5 The Spread of Fascism
Payne, chapters 8-9
*student presentations of research; 10 page draft of paper due.
Part III: World War, Memory and Revival
11/12 World War II
Payne, chapters 10-11, pp.328-437
Kershaw, chapter 6
Smith, chapters 11-17, selections
*student presentations of research
11/19 Racism and Extermination
Hitler, Mein Kampf, “Nation and Race”
Christopher Browning, Ordinary Men
“Browning’s Version”, packet
Daniel Goldhagen, “Motives, Causes and Alibis: A Reply to My Critics”, packet
Kershaw, chapter 5
12/3 Memory and Repression in the Post-War Period
Peter Baldwin, “The Historikerstreit in Context”, packet
Geoffrey Hartman, “Chronology” and “Introduction: 1985”, packet
Kershaw, chapters 9-10
*film: “Rome, Open City” (1945), Roberto Rossellini
12/10 Nationalist Revival and the Return of the Radical Right
Françoise Gaspard, A SmallCity in France