Fascism vs Nazism – Difference Between Fascism and Nazism
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
The difference between Fascism and Nazism in terms of literal meaning is that the word Nazism derives its meaning from Nazi Party, while the word fascism traces its roots from the word “fascio”, meaning a bundle of sticks. The inter-war period between the first and second world wars was the era of Nazism and fascism. One can see it as the repercussions of the Paris Peace Conference signed after World War I and the causes of World War II. On the other hand, Germany of the triple alliance was highly humiliated and looted in the treaty of Versailles, especially by France.
Difference Between Fascism and Nazism PDF
The major difference reiterating the points of Fascism vs Nazism is that racism is embedded in the core of Nazism, while in Fascism ideology, no such segregations are observed based on race; they follow statism. This article enlightens and facilitates the differences highlighting Fascism vs Nazism in terms of concept, meaning, and ideologies. Walk through the article to understand the difference between Fascism and Nazism ideologies.
Table of content
Difference Between Fascism and Nazism
While Nazism believes in the superiority of the Aryan race and the inferiority of Jews, Fascism places everything below the state or nation, whether it is an individual or spiritual belief, with no racial discrimination.
Walk through the table as illustrated herewith to get a complete knowledge of the difference between Fascism and Nazism on numerous points.
Fascism vs Nazism
| Difference Between Fascism and Nazism | |
| Nazism | Fascism |
| Nazism comes from the German name of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party. | Fascism comes from the word fascismo, which further comes from fascio, meaning a bundle of sticks.
Also, fascio comes from the word fasces, a symbol of power in the ancient roman empire. |
| Racism was intrinsic to Nazism, which propounded that the Aryan race is supreme and has pure blood. Jews were conspired to be anti-national or anti-German. | Statism is the crux of fascism, where the state is all-embracing, where no individual or spiritual value exists beyond the state.
Fascism is not racial and holds no strong opinion of any race. |
| The state plays an instrumental role in preserving and propagating racial discrimination. | Fascism believes in corporatism which incorporates and binds up all the social elements to achieve the goal of an organic state. |
| Nazism vehemently opposes class discrimination as it is a stumbling block in the path of the Aryan supremacy theory of nazists.
Aryans shall remain united against Jews and not divided between bourgeoisie and proletariat. |
Fascism recognizes the class system and even practices it openly. |
| Nazism is against social mobility and even wants to kill every Jew. | Social mobility exists in fascism. |
| Nazism was a more intense and brutal ideology that took the life of almost 6 million Jews. | The ideology of fascism was comparatively less brutal, and fewer killings happened in Italy under fascism. |
| The degree of penetration was higher because of the politicization of race.
Dubious conspiracy theories against Jews brainwashed the people of Germany. |
The degree of penetration was comparatively lower in the case of fascism in Italy. |
| Nazism was the ideology of Germany created by Adolf Hitler.
Another nazist is Joseph Mengele. |
Benito Mussolini in Italy instituted fascism.
Another fascist is Oswald Mosley. |
Fascism and Nazism
Though both ideologies share some features of totalitarianism, dictatorship, ultranationalism, militarism, territorial expansionism, etc., the difference between Fascism and Nazism is significant.
- Nazism and Fascism, the two totalitarian and dictatorial regimes came into reality in Germany and Italy, respectively, because the democratic form of government failed to solve the economic crisis, unemployment, inflation, and loss of prestige the two countries faced after World War II.
- Both the ideologies of Nazism and Fascism represent extreme nationalism.
- However, the ways used to attain extreme nationalism explains the difference between Fascism and Nazism.
What is Fascism?
The fascism meaning has been coined from the word “fascio”, a bundle of sticks signifying strength. Statism is an established and integral part of fascism. It does not believe in the racism ideology. World war 1 was witnessed by the fascists bringing forth a multitude of changes.
- The fascism ideology believes in suppressing the ideologies of the opposition.
- It possesses the aspirations of the organic state, accomplishing the goals of the same it embeds and incorporates all the social elements.
- It also believes in corporatism.
- The fascist ideology witnesses the caste system; social mobility is also practiced.
- It is considered to be less brutal than the Nazism ideology.
- Italy was unsatisfied and humiliated in not receiving the earlier promised territorial gains by the winning side of the Triple Entente in the Paris peace conference of 1919.
- Italy had changed its loyalty from the losing side of the triple alliance in the later phase of world war II for territorial gains, which it did not receive, and lost its 7 lakh soldiers instead.
What is Nazism?
The Nazism ideology established by Adolf Hitler vehemently believed that the Aryans held a superior position while Jews were considered anti-national. Racial discrimination is a core part of Nazism.
- It restricted the social mobility of the Jews, and they were assassinated.
- It follows a brutal ideology following higher levels of penetration.
- It does not believe or propagate racism; the Aryans are unified against the Jews.
Conclusion:
Key Difference Between Fascism and Nazism
The key difference between Fascism and Nazism is that Fascism surged in the early 20th century during World War 1, whereas the prominence of Nazism surged during the rise of Hitler in the 1930s; henceforth, it was also renowned as Hitlerism.
