War Veterans and Fascism in Interwar Europe

Description

This book explores, from a transnational viewpoint, the historical relationship between war veterans and fascism in interwar Europe. Until now, historians have been roughly divided between those who assume that 'brutalization' (George L. Mosse) led veterans to join fascist movements and those who stress that most ex-soldiers of the Great War became committed pacifists and internationalists. Transcending the debates of the brutalization thesis and drawing upon a wide range of archival and published sources, this work focuses on the interrelated processes of transnationalization and the fascist permeation of veterans' politics in interwar Europe to offer a wider perspective on the history of both fascism and veterans' movements. A combination of mythical constructs, transfers, political communication, encounters and networks within a transnational space explain the relationship between veterans and fascism. Thus, this book offers new insights into the essential ties between fascism and war, and contributes to the theorization of transnational fascism.

Angel Alcalde is currently a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen. He earned his Ph.D. in history and civilization from the European University Institute, Florence. He is a specialist on the social and cultural history of war, transnational history and the history of fascism. He has published numerous works on the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship, including two books, Los excombatientes franquistas (2014) and Lazos de Sangre (2010).

'An excellent work that advances the field of study about the rise of fascism and its relationship with veterans. Alcalde presents an easy to follow narrative filled with intriguing new scholarship.' Kevin Braam, H-Net 'Contemporaries and many historians have assumed, generally on the basis of numerous actual examples, that veterans of WWI, individually or as a group or an organization, were ready recruits to fascism, especially in Italy and Germany. Their violent experience of the war at the side of so many who had fallen and their sense that their sacrifice had been betrayed made veterans natural enthusiasts for redemption through extreme nationalism and authoritarianism. Alcalde, a historian of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime, firmly explores these assumptions. Recommended.' N. Greene, Choice 'The book succeeds in demonstrating the transnational understandings of, and appropriations from, Italian Fascism. ... an excellent book.' Chris Millington, European History Quarterly 'All in all, War Veterans and Fascism is an important contribution to our understanding of the period between the two wars ... this is unquestionably a brilliant and stimulating study.' Marco Mondini, The American Historical Review ' ...Alcalde succeeds in illustrating the connections between radical nationalism and war with the example of veterans' groups, thereby making an important contribution to the study of fascism as a European phenomenon in the twentieth century.' Pablo del Hierro, The Journal of Modern History '... Alcalde takes a central research discussion as a point of departure for a refreshing study ... In his view on the Italian case, he brings a lot to the table. As for the European level, his work will inspire new research and discussion.' Julia Eichenberg, War in History