In each case in the history Fascist rulers have come to power either in a society that was defeated in the war or in one that was dissatisfied in its expectations by the outcome of that conflict. Disappointed national ambitions, that is to say, has in...
In each case in the history Fascist rulers have come to power either in a society that was defeated in the war or in one that was dissatisfied in its expectations by the outcome of that conflict. Disappointed national ambitions, that is to say, has in each case been an element in the rise of the Fascist party to power. In every stage of history, the appeal of the Fascist party, has been an appeal to the oppressed elements in the national community; the unemployed, especially the unemployed ox-officer, the declasse intellectual, the petit bourgeois.
Fascism is hostile to the internationalism preached by humanitarians and liberals. It makes the nation, not a means to humanity, not a stepping to a new world order, but an end in itself. It is militarist, highly illiberal and tyrannical. Having attained power by a system of terror, destory their opponents and they inevitably establishes a monoparty state. This has meant that opposition to the party has become opposition to the state, with the result that, more or less rapidly. every aspect of the national life, cultural, political, economic, social, has become subordinated to the single need of the party's retention of power. It puts national interest alike above those of the individual and above those of humanity. The individual is an instrument of the state. The state has rights but the individual has only duties.
Since the state is, for all essential purposes, the Fascist party, the subordination of the individual to the Fascist party is the inevitable accompaniment of its evolution. And this has set the perspective of the Fascist politics of education. Fascist looks upon education as an effective agency for assistance in the perfomence of their governmental purposes, and recognizes that education is an instrument to maintain and progress toward its national ideals. Fascists always intended to control the education of its people virtually from the cradle to the grave. Fascism, that is to say, affected education on every level from the elementary school to the university as well as the institutions for the training of teachers and those of social education, and fostered intense, restricted loyalties for their own country and violent hatred of other nations in the individual citizen.
Education is used to develop military aggressivness, preparedness, and national unity. For example, the combined effects of the Nazi policy of education reduced school life to a sham of military and party routines and utilized all channels of educational communication to brutalize the individual into an obedient slave of a power-mad state. The slogan of Fascist education was, in short, "Believe, Obey, Fight"
The tendency in all national systems of education is toward a highly centralized organization with a hierarchy of military gradation of administration and supervision. Numerous other social education establishments were created or revised for the political indoctrination. Intellectualism was de-emphasized. Major emphasis was placed on national political education, physical education, and military subjects. Honest citizens loyal to the country and to the Fascist regieme were desirable for the Fascist regieme.
It mould oblige all citizens to conform to a common standard of manners and morals and to share the same unreasoning enthusiasm for it.