Sm Nahiduzzaman
A century ago a man in Italy declared that democracy was dead and promised to restore national greatness through strength and unity. The name of the man was Benito Mussolini—and with him came a political virus that would shape the world for decades to come. Fascism was once seen as an Italian issue, but soon it would spread across borders, start wars, and infect ideologies well beyond it. Modern-day impact of fascism continues to reverberate in global politics, societies, and digital culture.
This is not just a history lesson. It’s a warning wrapped in echoes.
Birth of a Dark Idea
The early 20th century was a time of political upheaval. After World War I, Europe was ravaged physically, economically, and emotionally. Out of that chaos Mussolini’s Fascist Party emerged, promising order, strength, and rebirth. As a political process this turn towards authoritarianism involved nationalism, suppression of dissent, militarism, and a single figure carrying out the will of the nation above all law.
Mussolini marched on Rome in 1922. By 1933, Adolf Hitler had taken power in Germany with his unique bundling of fascism, rooted in racial purity and genocide. The cascade of fascist rule rolled out quickly; Francisco Franco in Spain. Military regimes in Eastern Europe. Imperial Japan’s ultranationalism.
Fascism was not just an ideology; it was a system for control — control of thought, control of press, control of bodies, control of borders, control of history.
One war – and a Legacy
World War II was the most frightening symptom of the spread of fascism. Tens of millions perverted. Cities were reduced to ashes. Holocaust showed the world’s extreme results of state-proposed hatred and uncontrolled power.
But even after the defeat of Axis powers in 1945, fascism did not disappear. It mutated.
From the cruel regime of Pinochet to South Africa in Chile, the echo of fascist rule appeared in various forms- military dictatorship, racial isolation, ultraviolet movements. The global influence of fascism was visible not only in the rule but also in the ways that governments, institutions and even democracy responded to the alleged threats – monitoring, censorship and sacrificial goat.
The Digital Age and the New Fascism
Fast forward to the 21st century: social media and the internet were supposed to democratize information. Instead, they have also become sites of dissemination of far-right ideologies, conspiracy theories, and authoritarian nostalgia.
Political movements espousing fascist principles—xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiments, attacks on journalists, personality cults—are legitimizing and expanding in both established democracies and fragile states. Or maybe we should say fragile democracies. From Europe to South America and even parts of Asia, far-right parties are taking seats, expanding their discourse, and sometimes rewriting history.
The global reality of fascism today has less to do with black shirts and more to do with algorithms.
The Appeal of Fascism
Why does fascism return?
Some experts maintain that it thrives on fear – fear of change, fear of the ‘other’, and fear of losing control. When people are threatened economically, culturally, or politically, fascist ideologies give many people straightforward options: “blame them,” “trust only us”, and “reject the outsiders.”
Fascism can present itself as patriotic, moral, and necessary. Fascism does not always come with jackboots on; it might wear a suit, sell itself with hashtags, or smile through a podium.
The Resistance: Lessons in How to Resist
Fascism has always faced resistance, despite its dangers. Anti-fascist movements, human rights efforts, independent journalism, and education have offered counter-measures throughout history, and will continue to do so.
In today’s world, recognizing what to resist is part of the fight. Censorship repackaged as security. Nationalism sold as purity. Loyalty demanded over truth. All red flags, often lit-early.
Fascism has a global impact: silence is complicity. The fight to resist is not just done in parliaments or protests, but also in textbooks, on social media feeds, and in conversations with others on a daily basis.
At Last Having spent a century in the past, fascism is not down but continues to reappear. Its shape shifts, it crosses borders and it waits patiently for good breeding ground.
Understanding the impact of fascism on a global scale is not simply to look back. It is necessary to look ahead with eyes clear. The world has not become static but the longing for power and the intimidation and divisions it entails has not disappeared. And the responsibility to challenge it does not end.
As Mark Twain noted, history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
