Frank Ridley 1941

Fascism: What Is It?


Source: A pamphlet published in June 1941 by Freedom Press, 27 Belsize Road, London NW6.
Scanned and prepared for the Marxist Internet Archive by Paul Flewers.


In a recent number of The Modern Quarterly (American) Karl Korsch has correctly designated the immediate epoch in which we live, as an age, primarily and specifically, of Counter-Revolution. This fundamentally counter-revolutionary character of our era assumes several distinct forms; all of which, however, meet in the ‘lowest common denominator’ represented by the all-inclusive totalitarian state, itself sometimes loosely described as ‘Fascism’. Strictly speaking, however, Fascism is not, per se, the simple equivalent of Totalitarianism, itself the political form taken by Capitalism in its decay, which can be, and is, reached by other political routes. Nevertheless, as the most original and potent form taken by the Counter-Revolution of our epoch, there is no subject of greater importance, either practical or theoretical, that can be studied by the revolutionary movements of our day. As there exists no brief study of the subject, at once accessible and scientific, I submit this study of the sociology of the contemporary counter-revolution to that vast and ever-growing revolutionary public which desires to penetrate the infinite superficiality of our age and to see things for what they really are.

Contents

I: The Science of Counter-Revolution

II: The Rise of Fascism

III: What is Fascism? (Fascism and the Totalitarian State)

IV: Fascism in England

V: The Future of Fascism