ABSTRACT
In the Journal of Contemporary History, Richard Thurlow examines Oswald Mosley and the attempted rebirth of British fascism after 1945. He suggests that the best way to see British fascism is as a vehicle for the expression of Mosley's thought. There is a striking contrast between the British fascism which appears in the historical writings of Thurlow and Philip Coupland and the fascism that was experienced at the time. Thurlow's account bristles with such phrases as: 'his intention was made clear from the outset' 'the key to Mosley's postwar thought' and 'British Union of Fascists (BUF) ideas have been seen as one of the more impressive examples of fascist thought'. Richard Thurlow claims that the 'BUF, despite left-wing propaganda to the contrary displayed an unwillingness to use offensive violence against the state and anti-fascists'. The positive ideal of British fascism in the 1940s was a society in which the many had no rights, and were the slaves of a few.
