Fascism in Asia
Encyclopedia
Fascism in Asia refers to political ideologies in Asia which adhered to fascist
policies.
was organised SUMKA
(Hezb-e Sosialist-e Melli-ye Kargaran-e Iran or the Iran National-Socialist Workers Group), a neo-Nazi party founded by Davud Monshizadeh
in 1952. SUMKA copied not only the ideology of the Nazi Party but also that group's style, adopting the swastika
, black shirt and Hitler salute
whilst Monshizadeh even sought to cultivate an appearance similar to that of Adolf Hitler
. The group became associated with opposition to Mohammad Mosaddegh and the Tudeh Party whilst supporting the Shah and were ultimately absorbed into the 'Arya' movement of Hasan Arfa
, a group that, whilst maintaining some Nazi ideals, was of a more basic militaristic bent than SUMKA.
movement formed by Abba Achimeir in 1930 as a right-wing fascist faction within the Zionist Revisionist Movement
(ZRM). Achimeir was a self-described fascist who wrote a series of articles in 1928 titled "From the Diary of a Fascist". Achimeir rejected humanism
, liberalism
, and socialism
; condemned liberal Zionists
for only working for middle-class Jews; and stated the need for an integralist
, "pure nationalism" similar to that in Italy under Mussolini. Achemeir refused to be part of reformist Zionist coalitions and insisted that he would only support revolutionary Zionists who were willing to utilize violence. Anti-Jewish violence in 1929 in the British Mandate of Palestine resulted in a rise in support for Revisionist Maximalists and leading Achimeir to decry British rule, claiming that the English people were declining while the Jewish people were ready to flourish, saying:
In 1930, Achimeir and the Revisionist-Maximalists became the largest faction within the ZRM and called for closer relations with Fascist Italy and the Italian people, based on Achemier's claim claim that Italians were deemed the least anti-Semitic people in the world.
In 1932, the Revisionist Maximalists pressed the ZRM to adopt their polices which were titled the "Ten Commandments of Maximalism" which were made "in the spirit of complete fascism". Moderate ZRM members refused to accept this and moderate ZRM member Yaacov Kahan pressured the Revisionist Maximalists to accept the democratic nature of the ZRM and not push for the party to adopt fascist dictatorial policies.
In spite of the Revisionist Maximalists' opposition to the anti-Semitism
of the Nazi Party, Achemeir was initially controversially supportive of the Nazi Party in early 1933, believing that the Nazis' rise to power was positive because it recognized that previous attempts by Germany to assimilate Jews had finally been proven to be a failure. In March 1933, Achemeir wrote about the Nazi party, stating that: "The anti-Semitic wrapping should be discarded but not its anti-Marxist core...". Achemeir personally believed that the Nazis' anti-Semitism was just a nationalist ploy that did not have substance.
After Achemeir supported the Nazis, other Zionists within the ZRM quickly condemned Achemeir and the Revisionist Maximalists for their support of Hitler. Achemeir, in response to the outrage, in May 1933 reversed their position and opposed Nazi Germany and began to burn down German consolates and tear down Germany's flag. However in 1933, Revisionist Maximalist' support quickly deteriorated and fell apart, they would not be reorganized until 1938, after Achemeir was replaced by a new leader.
two pre-war groups emerged that took their inspiration from the fascist groups active in Europe
at the time. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party
was founded in 1932 by Antun Saadeh
with the aim of restoring independence to Syria
and taking its lead from Nazism and fascism. This group also used the Hitler salute and a symbol similar to the swastika whilst Saadeh took elements of Nazi ideology, notably the cult of personality and the yearning for a mythical, racially pure golden age. A youth group, based on the Hitler Youth
template, was also organised.
In 1936 the Kataeb Party
was founded by Pierre Gemayel
and this group also took its inspiration from the European fascists, also using the Hitler salute and a brown shirted uniform. This group also espoused a strong sense of nationalism and a leadership cult but it did not support totalitarianism
and so could not be characterised as fully fascist. Both groups are still active although neither demonstrate the characteristics of fascism now.
, a left-wing nationalist
and anti-communist
member of the Kuomintang
(Nationalist Party of China), and in particular the left-wing nationalist Kai-tsu p'ai (Reorganization) faction, was originally hostile to fascism in Europe, but gradually drifted to be in favour of left-wing fascism, especially to the economic policies of Nazism
in the late 1930s. Wang Jingwei visited Germany in 1936, and changed his views towards fascism, speaking positively about European fascist states, saying that: "Several advanced countries have already expanded their national vitality and augmented their people's strength, and are no longer afraid of foreign aggression." Publicist T'iang Leang-Li of the People's Tribune newspaper associated with the Kai-tsu p'ai promoted the good nature of fascism in Europe while attempting to distance Kai-tsu p'ai from overtly negative aspects of fascism and wrote in 1937: "Whatever we may think about fascist and Nazi methods and policies, we must recognize the fact that their leaders have secured the enthuisiastic support of their respective nations". T'iang Leang-Li claimed that the "foolish, unwise, and even cruel things" done in the fascist states had been done in a positive manner to bring about "tremendous change in the political outlook of the German and Italian people". T'iang Leang-Li wrote articles that positively assessed the "socialist" character of Nazism
. Similarly, Shih Shao-pei of the Kai-tsu p'ai rebuked Chinese critics of Nazism by saying "We in China[...] have heard too much about the 'national' and other flagwaving activities of the Nazis, and not enough about the 'socialist' work they are doing." Shih Shao-pei wrote about reports of improved working conditions in German factories, the vacations given to employees by Kraft durch Freude
, improved employer-employee relations, and the provision of public service work camps for the unemployed. Other works made by the People's Tribune spoke positively about Nazism, saying that it was bringing the "integration of the working classes...into the National Socialist state and the abolition of...the evil elements of modern capitalism".
Fumimaro Konoe
on 12 October 1940 and evolved into a "militarist
" political party
which aimed at removing the sectionalism in the politics and economics in the Empire of Japan
to create a totalitarian
single-party state
, which would maximize efficiency of Japan’s total war
effort during World War II
.
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
policies.
Iran
Fascism in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
was organised SUMKA
SUMKA
SUMKA is an Iranian neo-Nazi group that is otherwise known as Hezb-e Sosialist-e Melli-ye Kargaran-e Iran or the Iran National-Socialist Workers group.-Foundation:...
(Hezb-e Sosialist-e Melli-ye Kargaran-e Iran or the Iran National-Socialist Workers Group), a neo-Nazi party founded by Davud Monshizadeh
Davud Monshizadeh
Davud Monshizadeh an iranian persian ethnic was one of the principal founders of Sumka .-Background:Monshizadeh helped form the Sumka in 1952...
in 1952. SUMKA copied not only the ideology of the Nazi Party but also that group's style, adopting the swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
, black shirt and Hitler salute
Hitler salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
whilst Monshizadeh even sought to cultivate an appearance similar to that of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. The group became associated with opposition to Mohammad Mosaddegh and the Tudeh Party whilst supporting the Shah and were ultimately absorbed into the 'Arya' movement of Hasan Arfa
Hasan Arfa
Hasan Arfa was an Iranian general and ambassador of the Pahlavi dynasty.-Early life:Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, of an Anglo-Russian mother and Iranian father, Hasan Arfa was a career military officer in the Iranian army and who achieved the rank of general...
, a group that, whilst maintaining some Nazi ideals, was of a more basic militaristic bent than SUMKA.
Revisionist Maximalism
The Revisionist MaximalistRevisionist Maximalism
Revisionist Maximalism was a Jewish fascist ideology which was part of the Brit HaBirionim faction of the Zionist Revisionist Movement created by Abba Ahimeir. Revisionist Maximalists strongly supported the Italian fascist regime of Benito Mussolini and wanted the creation of an Israel based on...
movement formed by Abba Achimeir in 1930 as a right-wing fascist faction within the Zionist Revisionist Movement
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
(ZRM). Achimeir was a self-described fascist who wrote a series of articles in 1928 titled "From the Diary of a Fascist". Achimeir rejected humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
, liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, and socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
; condemned liberal Zionists
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
for only working for middle-class Jews; and stated the need for an integralist
Integralism
Integralism, or Integral nationalism, is an ideology according to which a nation is an organic unity. Integralism defends social differentiation and hierarchy with co-operation between social classes, transcending conflict between social and economic groups...
, "pure nationalism" similar to that in Italy under Mussolini. Achemeir refused to be part of reformist Zionist coalitions and insisted that he would only support revolutionary Zionists who were willing to utilize violence. Anti-Jewish violence in 1929 in the British Mandate of Palestine resulted in a rise in support for Revisionist Maximalists and leading Achimeir to decry British rule, claiming that the English people were declining while the Jewish people were ready to flourish, saying:
In 1930, Achimeir and the Revisionist-Maximalists became the largest faction within the ZRM and called for closer relations with Fascist Italy and the Italian people, based on Achemier's claim claim that Italians were deemed the least anti-Semitic people in the world.
In 1932, the Revisionist Maximalists pressed the ZRM to adopt their polices which were titled the "Ten Commandments of Maximalism" which were made "in the spirit of complete fascism". Moderate ZRM members refused to accept this and moderate ZRM member Yaacov Kahan pressured the Revisionist Maximalists to accept the democratic nature of the ZRM and not push for the party to adopt fascist dictatorial policies.
In spite of the Revisionist Maximalists' opposition to the anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
of the Nazi Party, Achemeir was initially controversially supportive of the Nazi Party in early 1933, believing that the Nazis' rise to power was positive because it recognized that previous attempts by Germany to assimilate Jews had finally been proven to be a failure. In March 1933, Achemeir wrote about the Nazi party, stating that: "The anti-Semitic wrapping should be discarded but not its anti-Marxist core...". Achemeir personally believed that the Nazis' anti-Semitism was just a nationalist ploy that did not have substance.
After Achemeir supported the Nazis, other Zionists within the ZRM quickly condemned Achemeir and the Revisionist Maximalists for their support of Hitler. Achemeir, in response to the outrage, in May 1933 reversed their position and opposed Nazi Germany and began to burn down German consolates and tear down Germany's flag. However in 1933, Revisionist Maximalist' support quickly deteriorated and fell apart, they would not be reorganized until 1938, after Achemeir was replaced by a new leader.
Lebanon
Within LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
two pre-war groups emerged that took their inspiration from the fascist groups active in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
at the time. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party
Syrian Social Nationalist Party
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party , is a secular nationalist political party in Lebanon and Syria. It advocates the establishment of a Syrian nation state spanning the Fertile Crescent, including present day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Cyprus, Kuwait,...
was founded in 1932 by Antun Saadeh
Antun Saadeh
Antun Saadeh was a Lebanese Syrian nationalist philosopher, writer and politician who founded the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.-Life:...
with the aim of restoring independence to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and taking its lead from Nazism and fascism. This group also used the Hitler salute and a symbol similar to the swastika whilst Saadeh took elements of Nazi ideology, notably the cult of personality and the yearning for a mythical, racially pure golden age. A youth group, based on the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
template, was also organised.
In 1936 the Kataeb Party
Kataeb Party
The Lebanese Phalanges , better known in English as the Phalange , is a traditional right-wing Lebanese political party. Although it is officially secular, it is mainly supported by Maronite Christians. The party played a major role in the Lebanese War...
was founded by Pierre Gemayel
Pierre Gemayel
Sheikh Pierre Gemayel , was a Lebanese political leader...
and this group also took its inspiration from the European fascists, also using the Hitler salute and a brown shirted uniform. This group also espoused a strong sense of nationalism and a leadership cult but it did not support totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
and so could not be characterised as fully fascist. Both groups are still active although neither demonstrate the characteristics of fascism now.
Kai-tsu p'ai faction of the Kuomintang
Wang JingweiWang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming, was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but later became increasingly anti-Communist after his efforts to collaborate with the CCP ended in political failure...
, a left-wing nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
member of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(Nationalist Party of China), and in particular the left-wing nationalist Kai-tsu p'ai (Reorganization) faction, was originally hostile to fascism in Europe, but gradually drifted to be in favour of left-wing fascism, especially to the economic policies of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in the late 1930s. Wang Jingwei visited Germany in 1936, and changed his views towards fascism, speaking positively about European fascist states, saying that: "Several advanced countries have already expanded their national vitality and augmented their people's strength, and are no longer afraid of foreign aggression." Publicist T'iang Leang-Li of the People's Tribune newspaper associated with the Kai-tsu p'ai promoted the good nature of fascism in Europe while attempting to distance Kai-tsu p'ai from overtly negative aspects of fascism and wrote in 1937: "Whatever we may think about fascist and Nazi methods and policies, we must recognize the fact that their leaders have secured the enthuisiastic support of their respective nations". T'iang Leang-Li claimed that the "foolish, unwise, and even cruel things" done in the fascist states had been done in a positive manner to bring about "tremendous change in the political outlook of the German and Italian people". T'iang Leang-Li wrote articles that positively assessed the "socialist" character of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. Similarly, Shih Shao-pei of the Kai-tsu p'ai rebuked Chinese critics of Nazism by saying "We in China
Kraft durch Freude
Kraft durch Freude was a large state-controlled leisure organization in Nazi Germany. It was a part of the German Labour Front , the national German labour organization at that time...
, improved employer-employee relations, and the provision of public service work camps for the unemployed. Other works made by the People's Tribune spoke positively about Nazism, saying that it was bringing the "integration of the working classes...into the National Socialist state and the abolition of...the evil elements of modern capitalism".
Taisei Yokusankai
The was created by Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Fumimaro Konoe
Fumimaro Konoe
Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...
on 12 October 1940 and evolved into a "militarist
Statism in Shōwa Japan
Statism in Shōwa Japan was a political syncretism of Japanese right-wing political ideologies, developed over a period of time from the Meiji Restoration...
" political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
which aimed at removing the sectionalism in the politics and economics in the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
to create a totalitarian
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
single-party state
Single-party state
A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
, which would maximize efficiency of Japan’s total war
Total war
Total war is a war in which a belligerent engages in the complete mobilization of fully available resources and population.In the mid-19th century, "total war" was identified by scholars as a separate class of warfare...
effort during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
See also
- Fascism in AfricaFascism in AfricaFascism in Africa refers to the phenomenon of fascist parties and movements that were active in Africa. Due to the status of Africa as an area of colonialism during the inter-war period fascist movements rarely developed...
- Fascism in Europe
- Fascism in North AmericaFascism in North AmericaFascism in North America was composed of a set of related political movements in Canada, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere which were variants of fascism. Fascist movements in North America never realized power, unlike their counterparts in Europe...
- Fascism in South AmericaFascism in South AmericaFascism in South America was an assortment of political parties and movements modelled on fascism. Although originating in Europe and primarily associated with that continent the ideology did cross the Atlantic Ocean between the wars and had an influence on South American politics...