ABSTRACT
During its lifetime Italian Fascism aroused intense controversy among politically aware Europeans, especially as it came to be seen as merely the first example of a widespread phenomenon. In present-day Italy controversy continues as neo-fascists and so-called ‘post-fascists’ venerate Mussolini’s memory while left-wing Italians remain unwilling to view Fascism in any but the most negative terms. Among students of Italian Fascism, and of its place in the history of fascism as a wider European phenomenon, numerous interpretations of this elusive period in Italian history struggle for acceptance. The sections which follow consider some of the most important.
