This lecture takes #fascism seriously. It looks closely at the core myths at the heart of fascist ideology, offering probing explanations for its emergence, resurgence and its continuing appeal.

Despite this enormous impact, fascism has proved strangely elusive as an object of historical analysis. Since 1945, it has been frequently explained away as a political pathology: a horrific, but fleeting deviation from the path to modernity.

Terror and destruction unleashed by the major fascist regimes have left an indelible mark on the course of modern history and our collective memory. The symbols and imagery of fascism remain instantly recognizable, while its ideas have seen a remarkable renaissance in the past twenty years.