What is fascism?

Fascism is a far-right political ideology that puts the nation above the individual. It is led by a single all-powerful leader. It rejects democracy, crushes opposition and free speech, and uses violence and propaganda to keep control. It rose in Europe between the two world wars.

Fascism began in Italy under Benito Mussolini after the First World War. Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler was its most extreme form. Fascist movements combine extreme nationalism with a cult of the leader and a one-party state. They often blame minorities or outsiders for the nation's problems. They glorify the military and use violence against opponents. They also control the media, schools and trade unions. Fascism in Europe was defeated in the Second World War, but some movements since have borrowed its ideas. In Britain, the British Union of Fascists marched in the 1930s and was opposed in events like the Battle of Cable Street in 1936. Today 'fascist' is often used loosely as an insult, which can blur its meaning.