Glencoe World History © 2008

Fascism

Introduction
After World War I, European democracy was under threat. France and Britain remained democratic, but a new kind of dictatorship emerged in Italy with Mussolini's Fascist state. In this activity, you will learn more about the characteristics of fascism, and how it arose in Italy .

Destination Title: What Is Fascism?

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Directions

• Read the information on the Web site.
• Take notes as you read.

Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			What is fascism based on? What does it reject?
2			Beginning in the 1970s, historians and political scientists have identified three common features of fascist states. What are they?
3			In addition to rejecting conservatism, what other doctrines do fascist movements oppose?
4			What was the purpose of "political rituals" such as huge rallies?
5			Draw a poster or some type of graphic organizer propaganda tool to summarize the methods Mussolini used to create a Fascist dictatorship in Italy.