their rise to power.
destroy the trade unions.
blackshirts, were also trying to sell themselves as being and Mussolini's rise to power.
Between 1930 and 1933, writes Guerin, Hitler's "Brown militiamen provoked their working class enemies and assassinated them on public highways. No Sunday passed without a bloody combat."
Yet throughout this period, Hitler was embarked on 3 practically uninterrupted clectoral campaign, capturing 230 soats in the Reichstag (parliament) in three years. When the Chief Justice asked him: "Then you intend to follow only legal methods, Hitler replied 'Certainly."
From 1919 until 1922, thousands of armed fascists travelled the length and breadth of Italy wrecking union headquarters, burning newspaper offices and attacking workers' demonstrations.
'LEGAL CONQUEST'
At the same time Mussolini was saying that he looked forward to a Isgal conquest of power.. the establishment of an overwhelming majorily throughout the country: retorm of Fascism and Big Business, written by the French syndicalist Daniel Guerin 35 years ago, and recently reprinted, is probably the most authoritative book around on the fascist movements and It should be read by all those in the labour movement who believe the National Front when it claims it does not want to For Guerin's book shows how Hitler's nazis, and Mussolini's "respectable' supporters of "democracy in the days before taking The fascist NF is simply attempting to learn the lessons of Hitler the clectoral law; and new elections that would give the Fascist Party control in the Chamber and hence in the government.
The National Front-like their fascist predecessors undersland thal their way to power does not lie throuch an armed insurrection which will overthrow the capitalist State Fascism enters into power at the Invitation of big business, who remain masters of the State.
Despite the appearance of an armed uprising, fascism in Italy and Germany assumed power legally:
Mussolin: was summoned to Rome by the King, he went in a comfortable siceping car and had entrusted to him, in accordance with parliamentary usages, the task uf forming a Cabinet.
Only when all thir was over, did there begin the spectacle which has beca called the March on Rome. special trains, the 50,000 Black Shirts were brought to the capital, where they paraded. sie who first give backing to the fascists would lave them compete in the constitutional arena for a majority of the bourgeoisie, and would have them avoid total war on the workers' moverent before the full resources of State power are safely at their disposal.
tive to the bourgeoisic is not what they say in parliament, but the acts of terror that they commit on the streets against the workers' movePathtinder Press, New York, Is available from Red Books, 97 Caledonian Road, London, N.t. at E1.55 including pap.
The socialist and communist Jeaders in Italy and Germany thought that because at first the fascists were supported only by certain sections of capital (essentially heavy industry ), the liberal sections of the bourpooisie would defend democracy and therefore protect the workers from the fascists. Such hopes proved illusory the fascists took power to raise the profits of all the capitalists. And profit, to a capitalist, is more dear than democracy. Those sections of the big bourgeoiWhat makes the fascists so attrac four-fifths pay! authorities!
& Big Business' Fascin and Big Business, published by violence, times heroic.
Martin Wobster was also a member StOTY The pamphlet was publislied from Million In any case the very instruments used to preserve "law and order' steadily went over to the fascists. In 1921, the Minister of Justice, Fera, sent a communication to the magistrates asking them to forget about the cases involving fascist criminal acts. The Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, General Badoglio, instructed his commandants to send 60,000 demobilised army officers to staff and direct the Fascin on The liberal minister, Gobetti, enjoyed surprising his dinner guests with the story of a fascist student who took part in punitive expeditions, and was then summoned by the police, to receive.. the fascist cap, with the congratulations of the It was to avoid antagonising this progressive bolirgeoisic that the labour movement relused to defend itself with arms. Instead, on the ove of Hitler's takeover, the German trade union leaders appealed for help Trom President Hindenburg.
Even atter the Reichstag tire and the orgy of fascist violence that went with it, they continued to repeat: "The unions lave always opposed terrorism in all its forms. They have educuted their members to struggle for a new social order without using The Italian union leaders told their members to Stay home: do not respond to provocation, Even silence, even cowardice, are someIf the fascists used legal tactics withour falling victim to lepalism.
Jahn Tyndall, NF Furt sor Beauclair bas a rather macabre sense of humour. He told his interViewer that he would tell her a funny . The Germans have what they call a "do-good machine". They say they can put in cakes of soup and get Jews out of the other end." Beguciair had been explaining that not all the Jews "were made into soap.
Beaucla made no bones about the fact that he has pushed out this magazine'. Nor was he shy about his membership of the NF. When asked what organisation people with ideas Jike himself should contact, he replied: 'Oh good lord yes. There's the National Front, That is true conservatism. I am a member of the National Front."
The blunt Mr Beauclair says that the NF think badly of me at the moment". This is 'because we have pushed out this mapazine on the Six He explained: "The National Front are trying to he very careful not to he anti-Jewish, bot they really are, Well the NF. I think they are damn fools, because the same thing cannot be said of the anti-fascists!
Modern day fascists claim they defend the rights of trade unions. No doubt NF memhers in the EFPTU or the Leicester district of the T&GWU or some of the sugar workers at Tare & Lyle, believe that the lett's claun that the NF wants to "destroy the unions" is sheer fantasy.
FASCISM & LABOUR
On the eve of the March on Rome, Mussolini proclaimed: Labour hus nothing to fear from the lascist power...Jts just rights will be loyally guaranteed. Fascism does not dream of depriving the proletariat of its organisations?
The nazis wrote: 'It is a shameful lie to say that the National Socialists will deprive the workers of their supreme weapon: the right to strike.
The fascists even supported some IN IRREN GEIST GEGEN - KRIEGSGEF UND When barbarism r Nazi Storm Troopers march on t they are not going to ger away with anything. It's pie in the sky.
When the newspapers got hold of this paper they connected me with the National Front, and the NF did not like it. So just temporarily they are a bit angry with mie. But they'll get over it.
With people like Martin Webster and John Tyndall Jeading the NF, Mr Beauclair is right to be sanguine, After all, one anti-semite gonerally retains a soft spot for another, even if he shoots his mouth off at the wrong time Coincidentally, 5000 copies of the booklet Did Six Million Really Die? were found in the Heidelberg Hotel in Brighton. The hotel is managed by Mr Alan Hancock, an exmember of Mosley's Union Movement. He und his son appeared to he in charge of stewarding NF mectings during the Hove by-clection last November.
EX-SS OFFICERS
The Hancocks used to act as hosts to the Northern League, This organisation has a collection of ex-Waffen SS officers amongse its leaders, and is supported by leading members of Hancock is a buddy of Martin
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Alf Jennings reviews Fascism