WI: Anti-Colonialist Fascism?
- Thread starter twistedirregular
- Start date
thaddeus
Donor
both Italy and Spain had colonial territories, desired more, and almost certainly are going to align their ideology to support their empires rather than align their empires to support their ideology?
possibly if the more left wing Nazis had gained power they would have at least espoused anti-colonial positions, but with a lot of contradictory actions?
possibly if the more left wing Nazis had gained power they would have at least espoused anti-colonial positions, but with a lot of contradictory actions?
BigBlueBox
Banned
There was a thread on this a month ago.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/fascism-as-an-anti-colonial-ideology.456510/
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/fascism-as-an-anti-colonial-ideology.456510/
Actually, European fascism could probably quite easily accomadate the kind of anti-colonialism embraced by the USA at the time of the Spanish-American War. Make yourself a big hero for kicking the OTHER guys out, and then find some pretext to justify sticking around.
And actually, that's kinda how the Japanese imperialists, before and during the period they were allied with European fascists, portrayed themselves.
And actually, that's kinda how the Japanese imperialists, before and during the period they were allied with European fascists, portrayed themselves.
Not possible after World War II, but if the Nazis go down early (war over Czechoslovakia followed by Nazi collapse) then fascism isn't discredited globally and anti-colonialist leaders will identify as fascists or otherwise use similiar styles of rule, societal organisation, etc. Given the nationalism of many OTL communist regimes (especially in Africa and Asia), there could clearly be a large base for anti-colonial fascism.
OTL Juche in DPRK has basically turned into anti-colonial fascism, although originally Juche/DPRK was not fascist.
OTL Juche in DPRK has basically turned into anti-colonial fascism, although originally Juche/DPRK was not fascist.
I've always been of the mind that Strasserism could likely have been anti-colonial in its scope, favoring nationalism and socialism in tandem.
IIRC BBC Arabic was established to counter Italian radio broadcasts which encouraged anti-British sentiment.
If we see countries like Ethiopia and/or Egypt going Fascist, could they potentially pave the way for a spread of a Fascism with an anti-colonial streak?
FillyofDelphi
Banned
You'd have to finesse the definition of anti-colonial, but I'd argue this could come out of Italian/Spainish/Latin American Fascism as trying to get rid of colonies not throwing independence, but "uplifting" the natives via Roman-style seeding of settlement and integration the people culturally, economically,and administratively into the Metropole (With, of course, a good deal of resettling your own people and crossbreeding with the native ladies). The Mestizo identity was a useful historical precident for that historically, and it could easily fit in as "Our Culture is great, we have a manifest destiny to give the poor tribals a chance to embrace it. Just look at Christianity; Jesus came to create an organization and new covinent that would bring salvation to all who listened and wholeheartedly embraced his teachings,rather than simply giving it to a "chosen people" like those Jews and crazy Germans seem to think. Don't you agree America? Britain?"
Spain seems like the best bet, it wasn't losing much sleep over the inevitability of losing its colonies, and it did try to establish local falangist parties in its colonies prior to giving them up. In Equatorial Guinea the Movement of National Union of Equatorial Guinea was both an independence movement and a fascist party, and it was the runner up in the country's only free elections.
Them winning and using the country's oil wealth productively could serve as an example allowing afro-fascism to take off.
Them winning and using the country's oil wealth productively could serve as an example allowing afro-fascism to take off.
Macías Nguema won by several thousand votes in the first round and the second round won by over 28,000 votes, while convincing his opposition supporters to support him. He was a very successful demagogue, and you'd need the MUNGE (his opposition) to win instead (requiring Spanish soldiers, Nguema's murder, etc.), and also harden toward an actual Afro-Fascism instead of just being an adjunct of Spanish Falangism.
WhiteDragon25
Banned
Bumping inactive threads isn't something the Mods particularly appreciate...
But as for the topic itself: I can imagine an anti-colonialist Fascism as possible; Fascism is often characterized by a victim-complex where the host nation has been cheated and humiliated by other nations - and what is more humiliating than being a colonial subject of a powerful imperialist nation? Any sort of intense nationalism in this case would automatically be anti-colonialist and pro-independence as well, and that nationalism can be easily transformed into militarism and populist totalitarianism given the right rhetoric.
The sticking point would probably be Fascism's own predilections to predatory conquest for its own colonialist desires, but Fascism is nothing if not flexible in exchanging one part of its platform for another if necessary or if an opportunity presents itself.
This seems quite interesting - what would it take for the spread of this strain of Fascism throughout the Third World?