Fascism Viewed from the Right

In this book, Julius Evola examines the history of the Fascist movement in Italy, a movement he had direct experience with and often criticized openly from 1922 to 1945. He addresses the widespread misuse of the term 'fascism' and urges readers not to let Italy's defeat in World War II divert their attention from an objective analysis of the ideology of Fascism itself. He contends that the defeat was due to specific circumstances and the leaders' personalities, rather than inherent flaws in the idea of Fascism. Evola praises the aspects of Fascism that align with European governance traditions, particularly the Classical Roman tradition, while criticizing elements that contradicted this ideal, like socialist, proletarian, and totalitarian tendencies, as well as what he saw as petty moralism. Evola distinguishes between the Fascism of the 'Twenty Years' between 1922 and Mussolini's fall in 1943 and the 'Second Fascism' of the Italian Social Republic, which he finds more problematic. He also criticizes the Fascist racial doctrine for its foundation on false principles. Drawing on Mussolini's own words, Evola presents the core of the Fascist ideal, asserting that, despite its flaws, it remains superior to the political systems that have replaced it. Julius Evola (1898-1974) was Italy's leading traditionalist philosopher, as well as a metaphysician, social thinker, and activist. He was an expert on esoteric traditions worldwide and a prominent critic of modernity. Evola wrote extensively about ancient civilizations in the East and West, the world of Tradition, and critiqued contemporary political and spiritual movements from a traditional perspective.