A History of Fascism, 1914–1945

Starred review from January 1, 1996
In a magisterial, wholly accessible, engaging study, University of Wisconsin history professor Payne defines fascism as a form of ultranationalism espousing a myth of national rebirth and marked by extreme elitism, mobilization of the masses, exaltation of hierarchy and subordination, oppression of women and an embrace of violence and war as virtues. While focusing on Mussolini's dictatorship and Hitler's Nazi regime, he also scrutinizes significant fascist movements, groups and regimes that flourished in Austria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Spain, France, Poland, Latvia and elsewhere. Payne (The Franco Regime) argues compellingly that Lenin's new political model of communist totalitarianism, based on one-party dictatorship and systematic mass violence, initiated most of the practices and institutions adopted or emulated by fascist states. He asserts that the Western world has been insulated from fascism since 1945, but he is alarmed at the growth of neo-fascist and radical-right groups in Russia, Serbia and Romania. This is an invaluable, dispassionate survey.