What is fascism? Could it be revolutionary? Or could it be reactionary? Can it be both?

Fascism is notoriously hard to define. How do we make sense of the ideology that appeals to streetfighters and intellectuals alike? That is overtly macho in style, yet attracts many women? That demands a return to tradition while keeping a fascination with technology? Which preaches assault in the name of an ordered society?

In the brand new edition of the Very Brief Introduction, Kevin Passmore brilliantly unravels the paradoxes of 1 of the very most important phenomena in the present day world-tracing its origins in the intellectual, political, and social crises from the later nineteenth century, the rise of fascism following World War I, including fascist regimes in Italy and Germany, and the fortunes of ‘failed’ fascist movements in Eastern European countries, Spain, and the Americas. He also considers fascism in tradition, the

new fascination with transnational research, and the progress from the far right since 2002.