What roles did fascism and anti-fascism play in American domestic policies in the 1930s

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What roles did fascism and anti-fascism play in American domestic policies in the 1930s?

During the presidential campaign of 1932, Franklin Roosevelt first coined the term that would become the backbone of US domestic policies throughout the 1930s: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a ‘new deal’ for the American people.”  When Roosevelt succeeded the presidency, he came into office in 1933 at the height of economic depression in America - he proposed to Congress an ambitious ‘New Deal’ to recover agriculture, industry and businesses, while delivering relief to the unemployed. However as Leuchtenburg states, “All of the New Deal was to be carried on under the shadow of the menace of fascism.”  Fascism can be defined as: A philosophy or system of government that is marked by stringent social and economic control, a strong, centralized government usually headed by a dictator, and often a policy of belligerent nationalism. Many historians have identified that before the fascist countries of Italy and Germany became their enemy, many Americans admired them and their progressive economic system. Therefore many have argued that domestic policies in the 1930s were significantly influenced by fascism. And while fascism affected he formulation of these policies; many anti-fascist, especially the far-left, had their role in their development.

When Roosevelt came to formulate his New Deal policies, many Americans perceived Benito Mussolini’s fascist programs in Italy were a sufficient and successful method to deal with the problems of economic depression. Many of the New Dealers believed the state should implement fascist concepts into their domestic policies. As John T. Flynn wrote, “The New Dealers…began to flirt with the alluring pastime of reconstructing the capitalist system…and in the process of this new career they began to fashion doctrines that turned out to be the principles of fascism.” American Ambassadors to Italy reported on their admiration of Mussolini’s unique and original government that organised the state to deal with post-Great War problems.

Many Americans believed it was powerful wealthy capitalists through their dominance of the American economy that had caused the Wall Street Crash that led to Depression. Some therefore looked to alternative methods in running the economy in the 1930s. And with most representing their opposition to communists and anarchists - many contemplated using fascist concepts in domestic policies. It was reported that the US State department admired how Italian Fascism brought “order out of chaos, discipline out of license, and solvency out of bankruptcy.” They considered incorporating fascism due to its anti-Communist position and due to the progress and recovery that had been made in the countries of Germany and Italy. 

Fascism played an important role, to a certain point in much of Roosevelt’s New Deal policies in the 1930s. In Italy, the organisation of the state and labour through public works programs became an inspiration for the administrations and legislations created by Roosevelt and the New Dealers. There was a significant increase in the role of Roosevelt and the State in the economy - thus the government was able to control and direct the development of the economy to a greater extent. Therefore many historians have argued that Roosevelt’s government in some respects was an analogy of Mussolini’s.

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On the other hand there were many left wing anti-fascists that ensured the New Deal would not change the American economic system to one similar to Fascist Italy’s. Anti-Fascist ideas also played a significant role in shaping the New Deal domestic policies. Many American far leftists were acutely against some of the New Deal policies heralding them as fascist. Roosevelt himself despised dictatorship and totalitarianism, and would not have considered himself or compare any of his policies as ‘fascist.’ Yet it has been considered that many of the contributors to the New Deal did imitate fascist systems in their economic ...

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