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Cover image of The Civic Foundations of Fascism in Europe
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The Civic Foundations of Fascism in Europe

Italy, Spain, and Romania, 1870–1945

Dylan Riley

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Dylan Riley reconceptualizes the nature and origins of interwar fascism in this remarkable investigation of the connection between civil society and authoritarianism.

From the late nineteenth century to World War I, voluntary associations exploded across Europe, especially among rural non-elites. But the development of this "civil society" did not produce liberal democracy in Italy, Spain, and Romania. Instead, Riley finds that it undermined the nascent liberal regimes in these countries and was a central cause of the rise of fascism. Developing an original synthesis of Gramsci and Tocqueville...

Dylan Riley reconceptualizes the nature and origins of interwar fascism in this remarkable investigation of the connection between civil society and authoritarianism.

From the late nineteenth century to World War I, voluntary associations exploded across Europe, especially among rural non-elites. But the development of this "civil society" did not produce liberal democracy in Italy, Spain, and Romania. Instead, Riley finds that it undermined the nascent liberal regimes in these countries and was a central cause of the rise of fascism. Developing an original synthesis of Gramsci and Tocqueville, Riley explains this surprising outcome by arguing that the development of political organizations in the three nations failed to keep pace with the proliferation of voluntary associations, leading to a crisis of political representation to which fascism developed as a response. His argument shows how different forms of fascism in Italy, Spain, and Romania arose in response to the divergent paths taken by civil society development in each nation.

Presenting the seemingly paradoxical argument that the rapid development of civil society facilitated the rise of fascism in Italy, Spain, and Romania, Riley credibly challenges the notion that a strong civil society necessarily leads to the development of liberal democracy. Scholars and students interested in debates about the rise of fascism and authoritarianism, democratization, civil society, and comparative and historical methods will find his arguments compelling and his conclusions challenging.

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Reviews

Recommended.

Riley's account of the civic foundations of fascism succeeds not only in throwing new light on old questions, but also in redefining the theoretical parameters for understanding fascism. It will change the way we think about fascism in the future.

This rather paradoxical book by Dylan Riley is both brilliant and courageous.

Riley's comparative historical analysis of fascism in Italy, Spain, and Romania is a major and original contribution to the understanding of the origins of fascism, its varieties, and its relationship to civil society development.

This is a book to be taken seriously.

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Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
280
ISBN
9780801894275
Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. Civil Society and Fascism in Interwar Europe
2. Party Fascism: Italy, 1870–1938
3. Traditionalist Fascism: Spain, 1876–1945
4. Statist Fascism: Romania, 1881–1940
5

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
1. Civil Society and Fascism in Interwar Europe
2. Party Fascism: Italy, 1870–1938
3. Traditionalist Fascism: Spain, 1876–1945
4. Statist Fascism: Romania, 1881–1940
5. Considering Alternatives
6. Rethinking Civil Society and Fascism
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Author Bio
Dylan Riley
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Dylan Riley

Dylan Riley is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.