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Fascism and the Führerprinzip: The Austrian Example

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2008

Bruce F. Pauley
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Extract

Although Gilbert Allardyce's recent article in the American Historical Review is useful in reminding us of “What Fascism Is Not,” even he recognizes the Führerprinzip, or leadership principle, as one of the few ideas common to all fascist movements in Europe during the interwar years. The fascists had little difficulty in deciding what they were against: “Marxism,” liberalism, parliamentarianism, individualism, and often, but not always, Judaism. They could also agree that they favored such vague and general ideas as a “‘new world,’ love of power and the dramatic appeal of youth, elite consciousness and mass influence, revolutionary ardor and veneration of tradition.” They were ultranationalistic and hoped to reunite their socially divided people into “people's communities.” In common with many nonfascist regimes they limited civil liberties and tolerated the existence of only one, all-encompassing political party. They stressed emotion and sentiment over reason, action instead of words, violence in place of peace.

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Articles
Information
Central European History , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , September 1979 , pp. 272 - 296
Copyright
Copyright © Conference Group for Central European History of the American Historical Association 1979

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References

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