ABSTRACT
Recent Western political history has illustrated all too often how extremists of the left can become extremists of the right. Mussolini was once a left-wing radical, and prewar Germany had the largest Communist party in Europe. The qualities, which are shared by extremists of both groups and which stem from similar deep emotional insecurities, make it possible for them, under certain circumstances, to swing from one polar political position to the other. Because of the inherent conflict between communistic political structure and Marxist ideological content, communists are more likely to become disillusioned and to renounce their affiliations than are fascists. The factors that predispose an individual toward becoming a political extremist are multiple, and are idiosyncratic as well as social and economic. Political extremists at both poles show evidence of considerable anxiety and emotional insecurity, and their political activities represent their efforts to defend against these anxieties.
