Women and Fascism

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 1998 - History - 199 pages
Ever since it came into existence in 1919, fascism's relationship with women has been neither consistent nor predictable. Despite its male predominance and a popular perception of misogynist attitudes, the movement has, on several occasions, proved able to win large numbers of women both as voters and members. Martin Durham addresses this paradox by dispelling the myth that fascism uniformly upheld anti-feminist policies which wanted women firmly kept in the home, breeding an endless stream of children for the master race. Martin Durham analyses the role of women in fascist organisations across Europe from the early 1920s to the present, with examples from Germany, Italy and France. Unusually, however, he gives special attention to British Fascism, and in doing so he offers valuable new perspectives.
 

Contents

Fascism Nazism and women
5
Women in the Greater Britain
27
Blackshirt women
49
Patriots and patriarchs?
74
For race and nation
95
Breeding more Britons
119
The home and the homeland
147
Fascism and gender
165
References
183
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About the author (1998)

Martin Durham is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Wolverhampton. He has published extensively on right-wing politics in Europe and the USA.