Britain, Europe and the Extreme Right, 1918-to the Present

Course Content:

This research-led module explores the rise and impact of the Extreme Right in the 20th
and early 21st centuries in Britain and in three other countries in Western Europe
(namely France, Germany and Italy). It adopts a historical and comparative approach, and
focuses on fascist, populist and authoritarian ideas, parties and movements in Britain and
across Europe, and the challenges these posed for the liberal democratic state and its
main institutions. The relationship between democracy and dictatorship proved to be a
major source of controversy and change in the 20th century, and the question of how the
liberal state 'managed' (or mis-managed and succumbed to) the threat from the Extreme
Right has been a major theme in the historiography in recent years. In fact, such issues
remain very prominent today.

The first half of the course thus describes and analyses the historical developments, main
patterns and key controversies engendered by these events and challenges in the
interwar period. The second half of the course explores the extent to which these
historical developments and the associated challenges were possibly replicated in the
post-1945 period, especially with the more recent resurgence of the extreme Right
across Britain and Europe in the early 21st century.

? Introduction: controversies in the historiography over fascism and rightwing
extremism.
? The historical context: fears of decadence and decline in Britain and Europe,
the impact of the First World War, and the crisis of liberalism.
? Italy and the emergence of Mussolini.
? What is fascism?
? The main fascist and authoritarian regimes in interwar Europe.
? The nature of Nazism.
? The French authoritarian right.
? The nature of fascism in Britain.
? Why did fascism fail in Britain.
? Post-1945 fascism?
? Neo-fascism in Italy and Germany.
? Neo-fascism and populism in France.
? The British Extreme Right: old wine in new bottles?
? The challenges of rightwing extremism to democracy.

Teaching: Lectures and seminars

Assessment:
STUDY OPTION 1:
? Two 2,000-word essays
STUDY OPTION 2: 2,000 word essay
STUDY OPTION3: 2,000 word essay

Study Option 1 = Whole Year
Study Option 2 = Autumn
Study Option 3 = Spring/summer