Politics of Extremism 1/26/17

I. Russia
A. Putin
- likes to be portrayed as tough, decisive, leader
-law degree from leningrad state university
-recruited by kgb (1975-1991)
-Worked in GDR
-1998 becomes head of federal security service, successor to KGB
B. President and Prime Minister
-putin is russia's dominant political figure since election in 2000
-went from president to prime minister in 2008
-hand picked his successor, dmitri medvedev who only served one term before stepping down
for putin
C. leadership style
-move towards centralization
-picks representatives, does not have democratic elections
-visibility on world stage
-rebirth of symbols of the past
-attack on free press
-change in language of power, from reform progress renewal democracy, modernization to
stability statehood order sovereignty
D. Fascism
-Hitler & Mussolini were elected to power
- plagiarized speeches from each other
-swastika used to be peaceful symbol
-creation of an empire, exmapnsion and radical change in relations to other powers
-ideology- creation of nationalist authoritarian state not based on traditional principles or
models
-style- extreme emphasis on masculinity and male dominance, mass mobilization &
propagands
-fascist negotiations– anti communism (socialism and marxism), anti-liberalism (democracy,
individualism), anti-semitism (german),anti-intellectualism, anti-pacifism
- significance: nation, corporatism (italy), community (nazi germany), racism (nazi germany),
cult of personality/mass mobilization of masses, willingness to use force/violence, imperialism and
expansionism
– How did they come into power? How did they consolidate power?
– Hitler committed suicide, mussolini and his mistress were shot to death and hung
upside down
– Fascism outside Europe: greyshirt movement, japanese regime. Latin America?
– Weaknesses of Latin American fascism- low rate of political mobilization,
multiracial composition of latin american societies which blurs racial nationalist
identity and creates internal divisions, political domination of military, weakness
of revolutionary left pre-1960s, development of radical multiclass nationalism
– Fascism and neo-fascism: difference is