PC/WI: Fascist Russia in a scenario where the Whites won the RCW

Without a state-planned economy like the Soviet Union ITTL, a non-communist dictatorial regime in Russia under Kolchak/Wrangel would suffer the effects of the Great Depression and would be more vulnerable to the rise of fascism. How would a Russian variant of fascism look like? Which side would a fascist Russia join in WW2, assuming Hitler still rises to power?
 
Fascist Russia is this weird thing, which is seen as ubiquitous and even cliched in alternate history even though it has yet to have a timeline dedicated specifically towards figuring out exactly what it would look like. I once tried taking up on the task and writing an extensive Fascist Russia timeline, but... well, a Fascist Russia can't lead to World War II, so that headache got me to drop the idea.

Fascism, as we know it, is not actually as likely to arise in a White Russia as people on this forum often believe. If the White forces with the Russian Civil War, what they leave in their wake is likely going to be a paternalistic, authoritarian state, either a military dictatorship, a restored Tsardom, or a weak republic which eventually transforms into one of the above - but paternalism and authoritarianism coated in a nationalist and revanchist coat of paint does not a fascist state make.
 
The most “fascistic” you could probably get is the programme of the Black Hundreds: extremely nationalistic, anti-Semitic, anti-Ukrainian, big on Tsarist Absolutism, etc. I could see a mass movement perhaps promoting a return to the “mythical past” of old Tsarist autocracy and that demands for a republic doomed Russia, a strong propagandistic connection between Tsar and citizen, rhetoric promoting sacrifice for the (Russian) nation, etc. Maybe not exactly Nazi, but most fascisms have strong national characteristics that define them and the programme of the Black Hundreds backed by a Russian White leader like Vrangel or Kornilov would fulfill many of the requisites laid out in Umberto Eco’s essay “Ur-Fascism.”
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
I agree that a state that ticks all checkboxes of Fascism is somewhat unrealistic. A militant autocratic nationalist regime might well pop up, but a Totalitarian state backed by a mass movement seems somewhat unrealistic. I guess the Tsardom can be restored, but I'm not sure it would be.

Also the term fascism comes from Mussolini's movement, and a RCW where the reds didn't win will cause butterflies in the rest of Europe with a decline of the Communist movements in favor of other left wing groups, social democrats would for sure benefit, but others too. But that might actually lead to butterflies in Italy where Mussolini never takes over, and the term Fascism isn't even used.
 
1930 Duma election, though (as usual) manipulated, reveals a backlash against the conservatives who have ruled Russia since the Bolsheviks were defeated in 1919. Major gains for Adolf Gitlerov and his "National Socialist Union of Russian People." Gitlerov accuses Denikin of "Jewish-Masonic" symapthies. "Why has Russia failed to gain anything from its victories over the Germans and the Bolsheviks? Why are so many people unemployed? Who is to blame? Read the Protocols!"
 
It wouldn't be called fascism, depending, but between Stalins proven track record and the Tsarist regime being a fairly brutal and racist police state I can easily see a "fascist" government taking over in Russia. Oddly enough I cant think of any timeline covering it, as Augenis says it's not only avoiding OTL WWII but having to essentially invent (or develop) an entirely new ideology whole cloth.

Given Eco's observations and the characteristics of the right in Russia, I'd say that anti semitism and some sort of pan slavic or at least pan Russian ideology would be part of it- muslims would also probably be targeted, and forced assimilation of various minorities (Ukrainians) on top of ethnic cleansing, organized pogroms (or even a holocaust level genocide, a fascist russia could IMHO easily rank with the Nazis and Imperial Japan).
Depending on what the world looks like this state could be expansionist or more or a Francoist regime, monarchist or republican. If Ukraine broke away then taking it back would probably be the top priority, and claiming Constantinople too (some sort of Mutliated Victory mythology over the straits?).
 
I think the most plausible option is a non-Fascist Russia starting WW2 and getting progressively more fascist trappings as the war goes on.

Japan did not strongly resemble a fascist regime in 1931 or even 1937 but 1944 oh boy...
 
Top