Gregor believes and sustains in his works that fascism was the truly revolutionary doctrine of the twentieth century, representing a model for dictators in the Third World countries. Fascism, rather than Marxism, represented the model for dictatorships demanding liberation from foreign dominance and wealth redistribution. Fascism appealed at patriotic feelings and at national pride, but it was still an ideology of dictatorship.
The true model that applied the fascist ideology into a political program was Benito Mussolini, who used the relevance of fascist theories in Italy when the fascists came to power in 1922. According to Gregor, fascism is best pictured by Mussolini's program, who used the opportune moment of economic downfall, of domestic disputes and external hostility to introduce the fascist platform.
Italian fascism is not, according to Gregor, the ideal system of belief - it represented an ideology that was not less irrational than other revolutionary ideologies of the twentieth century.
Following fascism to its origins, Gregor presents how the fascist movement evolved and developed, starting from its origins in the socialist ideology in the time of the First World War. By the Second World War, there already was a split between socialism and fascism. The most important thing that Gregor outlines in his works is that Italian fascism was based on solid roots and on theories developed by important political personalities.
But it is Gregor's belief that the one theory that really presented what fascism is all about was the Italian fascism theory, put in practice by Mussolini.
According to Gregor, Italian fascism was supported by a responsible and credible rationale provided by major Italian intellectuals. He identifies the social, economic and political conditions that led to fascism and that later supported the fascist ideology. Italian fascism was represented as an ideal desired by elites and masses in the twentieth century and it was the most coherent ideology of revolution of the twentieth century.
In conclusion, fascism can best be presented by the ideology of Mussolini's fascism in Italy. This ideology put into practice by Mussolini is the most comprehensive and well argument ed theory that pictures fascist beliefs, in comparison to any other theory, that was not as firmly formulated.
Bibliography
William T. Blumh, review on James A. Gregor, Interpretations of Fascism, Journal of Politics, Vol. 37, No. 2 (May, 1975), pp. 586-588, at jstore.org
A. James Gregor. Interpretations of fascism, Transaction Publications, 1997
A. James Gregor. Phoenix: Fascism in Our Time. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction. 1999.
