Fascism and militarism: Two aspects of totalitarian rule

A deeper discussion of the definitions, core characteristics of fascism and militarism, and how they are related to totalitarianism and national totalitarianism, and analyze its profound impact on society and the world by taking historical cases such as Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Japanese militarism as examples.

Fascism and militarism are two highly controlled and oppressive political ideologies and dominance models that play a key role in 20th century history and are often closely linked to the concept of totalitarianism. Although they each have their own emphasis, they show many similarities in the pursuit of state power, suppressing dissent, and overall control of society. This article will explore in-depth the nature, characteristics of these two ideologies and their complex relationship with totalitarianism, especially national totalitarianism.

The rise and core characteristics of fascism

The term "totalitarian" was first proposed by Italian fascists in the 1920s as a self-proclaimed for its own regime and was jointly promoted by Italian fascist theorists Giovanni Qintili and Mussolini. Mussolini described his regime as a "representative totalitarian state" and emphasized that "everything is in the state, nothing can be outside the state, and nothing can be opposed to the state."

The core characteristics of fascism include:

• National superiority and national supremacy : Fascism promotes the supremacy of its own nation or country, and requires individuals to be fully obedient to the interests of the nation and the country. For example, the Italian fascist regime led by Mussolini aims to restore the glory of the ancient Roman Empire and promote the superiority of the Italian nation.
• Leader worship and one-party dictatorship : Fascist regimes establish the absolute power of a single party and leader, and ban opposition parties and independent organizations. Personality worship is an important part of it, and leaders are shaped into symbols and saviors of the nation.
• Militarism and External Expansion : Fascism often emphasizes militarism, racism and external expansion. Fascist Italy was once one of the main Axis powers of World War II and was known for its cruel treatment of prisoners of war and civilians.

However, Hannah Arendt distinguishes Italian fascism from Nazism and Stalinism in The Origin of Totalitarianism. She believed that Italian fascism was a "nationalist authoritarian movement" and it was not truly a comprehensive totalitarian regime until 1938. Mussolini was content with dictatorship and one-party rule, did not fully realize the full mass mobilization and allowed the king to be the nominal head of state, as well as the Catholic Church to maintain its independent religious authority. This suggests that fascism may in some cases behave as an extreme form of authoritarianism rather than totalitarianism in the full sense.

The essence and expression of militarism

Militarism is an ideology that places military forces and their interests at the core of national and social life. It usually safeguards state power through militarization of society, external expansion and internal repression, and is often combined with totalitarianism or national totalitarianism.

• State Control and Expansion : In militarist countries, military institutions have a decisive influence on national policies and social structures. For example, the Great Japanese Empire during World War II was described as a "military dictatorship" led by Emperor Hirohito. The regime promotes expansion and conquest policies, and controls public opinion and information circulation through propaganda and censorship systems, while using violence and intimidation to suppress dissent. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoeu Matsuoka once said that totalitarianism will win the world, while Japanese fascism will develop through love for the emperor.
• National superiority and cultural instrumentalization : Japanese militarism defines external expansion as "national mission" with the slogans of "Yamato National Superiority Theory" and "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity". They controlled public opinion through the totalitarian system, forced recruitment, and implemented "daily chemical education" in the occupied areas, suppressed local ethnic culture, and committed a large number of war crimes. A document from the Japanese Cabinet Planning Institute even claimed that Japan has possessed "unparalleled totalitarianism" since its founding, and this "ideal totalitarianism" is reflected in its "national system" that has remained unchanged for three thousand years.
• Military and social reproduction : In national totalitarian countries like Myanmar and Sri Lanka, military forces have a significant impact on state power, even dominate the state, and adjust political and economic institutions for their own interests. This phenomenon of "militarized social reproduction" shows that the organizational method of social reproduction is shaped by military goals and strategies. For example, the Myanmar military government suppressed Rohingya and other minorities in the name of "protecting Buddhist nations" and carried out systematic persecution.
• Gender Violence and Control : In militarist and national totalitarian countries, Gender Violence is a core element connecting the frontlines of war and the rear families. The female body is often regarded as a symbol of the state and religion, becoming a "territorial in dispute." The state consolidates its racialized order by controlling social reproduction, including restricting women's rights, empowering men with private spheres, and even the violence of soldiers returning from the battlefield, in the family is tolerated by society and is even interpreted as part of the trauma of war.

The interweaving of fascism, militarism and totalitarianism

Although fascism and militarism each have their own emphasis, they often combine with each other in practice and operate within the framework of totalitarianism.

• Common control means : both generally adopt strict censorship, suppression of dissent, extensive propaganda, highly centralized power and state terrorism to maintain dominance. These means are designed to eliminate political diversity, force the inculcation of official ideology, and infiltrate the private lives of citizens.
• Nationalism core : Extreme nationalism is an important foundation for these two ideologies. They promote the superiority of their own nation, put national interests above everything else, and gather people's support for the regime by creating "external threats" and "internal enemies".
• Nazi Germany : It is a typical case of the combination of fascism, militarism and national totalitarianism. Nazi Germany took the "Aryan National Superiority Theory" as its core, defined Jews, Gypsies, Slavs, etc. as "inferior nations". It promoted apartheid and forced sterilization through the totalitarian system, which eventually led to the "Holocaust" of the deaths of about 6 million Jews, and launched World War II in the name of "national survival space". The Nazi Party made it clear that its goal was to build a "totalitarian state" that "infiltrates all areas of public life."
• Distinguishing from national totalitarianism : Although traditional fascist totalitarianism takes "state/party" as its core and emphasizes "state supremacy", national totalitarianism takes "specific nations" as its core and regards the state as "the tool of the nation." This totalitarian rule with national identity as the core of political legitimacy pushes the exclusiveness of the nation to the extreme, aiming to achieve a monopoly of a specific nation over state power through comprehensive control of social, economic, cultural and personal life.

Historical case analysis

• Fascist Italy (1922-1943) : The Fascist Party led by Mussolini promoted the superiority of the Italian nation, established a totalitarian state with one party dictatorship, and tried to restore the glory of the ancient Roman Empire. Although Arendt believes that his early days were not totalitarianism in the full sense, Mussolini's concept of "state supremacy" and his claim to totalitarian terms make it an important historical reference for the development of the concept of totalitarianism.
• Nazi Germany (1933-1945) : The Nazi Party led by Hitler regarded the Germanic nation as a "preferential nation" and achieved the so-called "national rejuvenation" through totalitarian rule, ethnic cleansing and external expansion. Nazi artworks also had significant totalitarian characteristics: cold, iron-blooded, advocating order, and fanatical cult of personality, which became part of fanatical nationalist propaganda, which eventually led to the outbreak of World War II, killing more than 55 million people.
• Japanese Militarism (1930-1945) : Taking the "Yamato National Superiority Theory" as the ideology, external expansion is defined as the "national mission", controlling public opinion through the totalitarian system, forcing military conscription, and promoting "daily chemical education" in the occupied areas, suppressing local ethnic culture, and committing a large number of war crimes. Japan even claimed to possess "unparalleled totalitarianism" in government documents before World War II.

Impact and warning

Fascism and militarism, as different manifestations of totalitarianism, have caused severe disasters to human civilization. They trampled on human rights, and through systemic persecution, ethnic cleansing and large-scale violence, they have led to the death of tens of millions of innocent lives. Its exclusive nationalist narrative leads to social division, the country falls into closure and external isolation, hinders economic and cultural exchanges, and ultimately brings civilization backwards.

These historical lessons warn us that we must be vigilant against the combination of extreme nationalism and totalitarianism, safeguard democratic systems and human rights protection, and oppose any form of national oppression and ideological control. Only by acknowledging the coexistence of multicultural cultures and protecting the rights of minorities can similar dangerous ideologies be avoided from rising again and maintaining the common values ​​of international order and mankind.