Summary of Robert O. Paxton's The Anatomy of Fascism

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Fascist politics was the major political innovation of the twentieth century, and the source of much of its pain. It was the unexpected combination of dictatorship and popular enthusiasm that fascism was able to put together one short generation later. #2 The word fascism is derived from the Italian word fascio, which refers to a bundle or sheaf. It was originally used in the late 1800s to describe the solidarity of committed militants, but was later used by Mussolini to describe the mood of his band of nationalist ex-soldiers and pro-war syndicalist revolutionaries. #3 Mussolini’s first followers were demobilized war veterans, pro-war syndicalists, and Futurist intellectuals. They were anti-intellectual and contemptuous of established society. #4 After World War I, Europe was full of aspiring dictators and marching squads who thought they were on the same path to power as Mussolini and Hitler.