Fascism was one of the most complex, and hotly debated movements of the twentieth century. Comparative Fascist Studies brings together some of the leading experts in the field of fascist studies in order to provide an informative introduction to the most recent debates on fascist studies and the history of fascism across Europe. This Reader provides a sample of authoritative works that have revolutionized the field in the last two decades, supplemented by recent challenging reinterpretations of key aspects of fascism. Chapters include works by: Stanley G. Payne, Roger Griffin, Roger Eatwell, and Ian Kershaw. Including a general introduction, Constantin Iordachi focuses on transnational approaches to fascism, looking at the comparative method and its application to fascist studies. The book is divided into three parts, offering a synoptic overview of the latest developments in the field, exploring different definitions of fascism, and grounding these theoretical debates in their historical context.The three parts focus on methods and levels of comparison, covering: debates over ideal-type models of generic fascism used as instruments of comparison, and evaluation of historic case studies cross-national and trans-national comparisons of historical examples of fascism, measured against each other or against theoretical models of generic fascism debates over totalitarianism and political religions and their relevance for studying fascist movements and regimes.
Each extract has an introduction and annotations to guide the student through the complex arguments.