A Russian *Nazism

I've been an avid reader of the French *Nazism posts and quite a few of them have been pretty interesting. I began to wonder about the least likely European country to turn fascist, and I came up with Russia. The PODs might be a little bit more difficult than with a Western European analogue to Nazism, but I think a fascist Russia would be very interesting, perhaps leading to a very real threat of "the Red Hordes" ...

NB: As Nazism is by its very nature anti-Slavic, I decided to use the word "fascist" instead.

Format taken blatantly, but with care, from the French Nazism thread:

Economics - State control of the economy is (again) a given.

Nationalism - Russia is the bulwark of Europe, the shield and protector of a lesser Europe against the Asian hordes. To serve the Rodina (motherland) is one's highest purpose in life, and it is an honor to sacrifice or lay down one's life for it. Development of the idea of "Eurasia" as a power bloc opposed to the West.

Militarism - Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Alexander I could all be possibly seen as Russian heroes by Russian fascism. Constantine the Great may also be able to be adopted as a purely Slavic, Russian, or Eastern hero, due to his sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Russia's great natural resources can be harvested and mined to support a growing military. Plus, the state's vast reserves of people are inherently useful.

Racism - The Slavs, particularly Russian Slavs, have the God-given birthright to lead Europe and the world. Strong campaigns against immigrants and all other non-white, Orthodox citizens are expected and popularized. All Slav people and nations should join together into one union with Mother Russia as its leader. The Jews, Central Asians, Roma, and the Turkic peoples are to blame for all of Russia's failings and are fit only for servile labor and behavior. Central and Southern Europeans such as the Germans or the Italians are barely above the Jews and Roma.

Religion - The Russian Orthodox Church is the moral authority of the Rodina, with the Party guiding the aims of the Church of course. All citizens must swear an oath of fealty both to the Motherland and to the Orthodox Church.

Government - Extensive use of propaganda to popularize the government, the State, and its leader. Construction of a personality cult around the Party as a whole with the near-deification of the Party's current leader. Extensive use of secret police to maintain social submission and silence political dissent. The possible blending of fascism with autocracy, with the "King of Russia" the head of the Party, the Motherland, and de facto leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

As far as a POD, one that I am particularly a fan of is the defeat of the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. Particularly, a White Russian party or leader that is supported by the West during the Civil War but ends up turning on them. There also may be a Hitler-like figure that follows the same OTL path as his counterpart. Russia's large size, population base, and economic potential all lend themselves well to this sort of government.
 
Nationalism - Russia is the bulwark of Europe, the shield and protector of a lesser Europe against the Asian hordes. To serve the Rodina (motherland) is one's highest purpose in life, and it is an honor to sacrifice or lay down one's life for it. Development of the idea of "Eurasia" as a power bloc opposed to the West.


Well, if it wants a Eurasian power bloc then why would it look down on the rest of Asia as barbarian "hordes"? I think it would have to have a more positive view of its Asian neighbors. Also, it could look down on Western Europe as materialistic, morally degenerate and therefore, inferior.

Militarism - Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Alexander I could all be possibly seen as Russian heroes by Russian fascism. Constantine the Great may also be able to be adopted as a purely Slavic, Russian, or Eastern hero, due to his sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Russia's great natural resources can be harvested and mined to support a growing military. Plus, the state's vast reserves of people are inherently useful.
Don't forget Nevsky and Suvorov.

Racism - The Slavs, particularly Russian Slavs, have the God-given birthright to lead Europe and the world. Strong campaigns against immigrants and all other non-white, Orthodox citizens are expected and popularized. All Slav people and nations should join together into one union with Mother Russia as its leader. The Jews, Central Asians, Roma, and the Turkic peoples are to blame for all of Russia's failings and are fit only for servile labor and behavior. Central and Southern Europeans such as the Germans or the Italians are barely above the Jews and Roma.
I think that the Central Asians have been integrated long enough with the Russian Empire's historical and social fabric that any successor state that may follow, even if it would be Nazi-like would have to treat them more importantly. They may hold a view toward the Central Asians that is similar to Russian National Unity's. The RNU, a once a prominent far-right party, saw them as "compatriots", not Russians but still equals whose homeland lies within the motherland. Jews and Gypsies on the other hand, who have their homelands outside of Russia are still subhuman.
 
Economics - State control of the economy is (again) a given.

Not quite. Hitler's Germany was fairly interventionist but they didn't nationalize everything. The corporations (like Krupp et al.) remained independent but had heavy guidance. The businessmen were some of Hitler's strongest supporters.

Nationalism - Russia is the bulwark of Europe, the shield and protector of a lesser Europe against the Asian hordes. To serve the Rodina (motherland) is one's highest purpose in life, and it is an honor to sacrifice or lay down one's life for it. Development of the idea of "Eurasia" as a power bloc opposed to the West.

You might be able to make something out of 'Third Rome'; the Romanovs were the 'last successors' of the Roman Empire, as it were, passing from the Byzantines. THat's where 'Romanov' comes from, frex.

Racism - The Slavs, particularly Russian Slavs, have the God-given birthright to lead Europe and the world. Strong campaigns against immigrants and all other non-white, Orthodox citizens are expected and popularized. All Slav people and nations should join together into one union with Mother Russia as its leader. The Jews, Central Asians, Roma, and the Turkic peoples are to blame for all of Russia's failings and are fit only for servile labor and behavior. Central and Southern Europeans such as the Germans or the Italians are barely above the Jews and Roma.
What of other Orthodox peoples, such as Greeks? They might be viewed as 'special' in light of the Byzantine bits mentioned above.
 
You might be able to make something out of 'Third Rome'; the Romanovs were the 'last successors' of the Roman Empire, as it were, passing from the Byzantines. THat's where 'Romanov' comes from, frex.

What of other Orthodox peoples, such as Greeks? They might be viewed as 'special' in light of the Byzantine bits mentioned above.

Interesting idea with the Third Rome thing. I remember reading about one of the current far-right wing Russian parties calling for a return to a monarchy-like system, blending it with a fascist-like autocracy. I think I included it on this thread. What would the effect of this "New Rome" have on that ideal?

Secondly, I can see other Orthodox peoples being viewed somewhat like how Hitler viewed other "Aryans." IIRC, he didn't want to go to war initially with the British for that reason. What of Russian-led attempts to gather together all the Slavs and Orthodox peoples into one power bloc?
 
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