ABSTRACT
In the 1930s, a movement-countermovement (M/CM) contest developed between fascists and anti-fascists in Britain. The conflict between the far right and the far left led to tens of thousands of people being mobilised on the streets of Britain, as well as many instances of large-scale political violence and public disorder. This chapter explores these events to examine whether or not cumulative extremism developed between these groups; in Roger Eatwell’s terms, if and how ‘one form of extremism [fascism]’ fed off and magnified ‘other forms [militant anti-fascism; communism].’ The key questions answered here are to what extent did the activities of the fascists and anti-fascists affect the levels of mobilisation and the radicalisation of their opponents.
