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[[File:The_Anatomy_of_Facism.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|<i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400033918/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400033918&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=3c67a426c0cb12c4577702b87ffe9a8a The Anatomy of Fascism]</i> by Robert O. Paxton]]
By John Paul Mason
In <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400033918/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1400033918&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=3c67a426c0cb12c4577702b87ffe9a8a The Anatomy of Fascism]</i>, Robert O. Paxton examines fascist movements, primarily in Germany and Italy, to create a thorough explanation of what constitutes fascism. To define the boundaries and stages that makeup fascism, Paxton spends the majority of the book examining fascism in two of the locations where it was most successful, violent, and noteworthy: Italy and Germany. Paxton examines the examples of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in comparison to each other – and occasionally in contrast to other regimes often considered fascist, such as Francoist Spain – to understand the differences not just in how authoritarian leaders got into power, but in their actions once they were in control. For example, Paxton argues that one of the defining qualities of a fascist power is its appeals to the public and popular support in years before ascension to power as well as after taking power – something characteristic of both Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini’s reign in their respective countries.
Paxton closely examines the history of fascist movements in Germany and Italy, which provides insight into the history of those two countries at pivotal moments. The comparison demonstrates clear parallels between the two countries fascist movements as well as the failure of democracy in each these two countries. The examples of these two movements make Paxton’s argument convincing. His portrayal of the rise of fascism was as much a failure of democracy as it was the rise of an authoritarian group of thugs. Fascists successfully took advantage of democratic institutions for non-democratic ends.
