Tuesdays, Oct. 5-19, 10-11:30 a.m.

It was once thought that fascism had so violently discredited itself in World War Two that it could now survive only on the extremist fringes of democratic politics. But times have changed. Today journalists and pundits-often with a political axe to grind-issue dire warnings of fascism's return, comparing Hitler and Mussolini to contemporary leaders like Trump and Putin. This class will investigate "classical fascism" as it appeared from the years around WWI to 1945, paying particular attention to Italy and Germany. We will consider how understanding fascism in its historical moment enables us to evaluate the application of "fascism" to today's politics.