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The rise of neo-fascism and politics of the extreme right in Europe since World War Two is a phenomenon with a multitude of explanations. For our purposes, we will examine several different theories as to why these groups have gained prominence in various areas of Europe since 1945 and try to explain which of these explanations seems the most logical. ... One group of scholars believes that there is a psychological element to the rise of right-wing extremist movements. This group often claims that people feel isolated from society and look to extreme movements such as neo-fascism to gain a personal identity. The next group points to sociological problems as being the cause of the extreme movements. Perhaps there is something wrong with the current system that invites the rise of fascism or extremism. ... For that reason, it seems that it has been a combination of psychological, sociological, and historical reasons that have led to the rise of neo-fascism and extreme right politics in Europe since World War Two. ... However, this analysis of the rise of neo-fascism, the extreme right, and what is commonly masked as “nationalism” will develop Hagtvet’s ideas much further. ... Finally, we will attempt to provide reason as to why some of these explanations for a rise of the far-right might be applicable in some countries and not others.
In dealing with an examination with the rise of the extreme right in Europe, one is stricken with an important issue to consider; is the current rise of the right in any way related to the fascism which spread across Europe up until the end of the Second World War? ... The first group is Western Europe, the second is Eastern Europe. ...
Klaus von Beyme is a German scholar who has focused on the subject of the rise of the extreme-right since 1945. “Conservatives try to maintain the status quo, right-wing extremists want to restore the status quo ante” (von Beyme, p. ... Although von Beyme’s statement may not concretely define right-wing extremists as anything in particular, it does provide a greater thought that the far-right is not the same throughout Europe. This definition is particularly useful in the analysis of developed countries throughout Western Europe since they tend to have stable governments that are not dominated by fascism.
In Germany’s case, we can interpret the status quo ante to include the neo-Nazis and Franz Schönhuber’s Republican Party, Die Republikaner, amongst others. The name neo-Nazis should imply something about history for this political party. In West Germany perhaps more than anywhere else, history provides strong ties for the extreme-right. An interesting dilemma that one must consider when dealing with the far-right in Germany is the question of whether or not this rise of fascism is indeed a reincarnation of the fascism, which sparked World War Two. ... In his first chapter, he goes on to make a strong case that in fact the de-nazification undertaken following 1945 was sub-standard and is indeed not only responsible for neo-fascist activities in Germany, but also in a good portion of other countries around the world (Harris, p. ... In this argument, neo-fascism is not simply a strong tie to a historical past, but in fact a continuation of Hitler and Mussolini’s regimes.
The idea that the right-wing movements in Germany may have strong ties to the fascism that spurred World War Two is further supported by the presence of leader Franz Schönhuber. ... Still, scholars such as Richard Stöss have come to the conclusion that “’Grandpa’s fascism is dead’” (Stöss, p. ... Although he admits the strong suggestion of historical presence in the neo-fascist movement, Stöss claims that this brand of right-wing extremists is fueled by xenophobia, not strictly racism. ... In response to Stöss’s argument, it seems as though he may be considering the strong spread of xenophobia associated with neo-fascist movements in so many other developed countries with the different brand of right-wing movement taking place in Germany. ...
Indeed, in most cases where the far-right has gained any sort of notoriety, it appears as though a series of circumstances are present. ... For the great majority of German history, the country has been associated with brutal leaders and war. Bernt Hagtvet claims that a national character affects its constituents such that they are either drawn towards or away from war, such as in the case of Germany and the Netherlands, respectively (Hagtvet, p. ... World War Two may have driven fascism out of the main stream in Germany, but it certainly didn’t drive the practice into extinction.
Approximate Word count = 3875
Approximate Pages = 15.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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