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By John Paul Mason
In <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400033918/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400033918&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=3c67a426c0cb12c4577702b87ffe9a8a The Anatomy of Fascism]</i>, Robert O. Paxton examines fascist movements, primarily in Germany and Italy, to create a thorough explanationHitler's constitutes fascism. 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 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. He trys to understand the differences not just in how authoritarian leaders got into power, but in their actions once they wMussoliniMussolini'srol. 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. These appeals continue after taking power – something characteristic of both countries' and Benito Mussolini’s reign in their respective 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. 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's view of these two movements makes his argument convincing. 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. Fascists successfully took advantage of democratic institutions for non-democratic ends.
