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oa The US South’s Political Response to European Fascism during the Interwar War Period (1919–1939)
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: Fascism, Volume 14, Issue 1, jul. 2025, p. 79 - 109
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- 19 feb. 2024
- 12 dec. 2024
- 15 jul. 2025
Samenvatting
This article argues that the US South’s connections—commonalities, networks, and exchanges—and political response to European fascism were distinct from the rest of the United States during the interwar period. While the allegations of fascism levelled against the South by its critics were exaggerated, it was the US region that most closely mirrored the racial, labor, and political practices of fascist Europe during the 1930s. These similarities underpinned the region’s relatively affirmative political response to fascism as demonstrated by the discourse of southern politicians. Quantitative analysis and case studies illuminate how southern politicians engaged in the discourse of fascism to influence both domestic and foreign policy. Domestically, the South’s political response to fascism limited the scope of the New Deal and served as a rhetorical strawman against the expansion of civil rights; globally, it encouraged admirers of fascism and acted as a drag on the United States’ ability to contain European fascism on the international stage.
