The Myth of Rebirth in Fascist Ideology

This Element proposes a novel perspective on the palingenetic core of fascism as the foundation for a new understanding of fascism as political faith. It explores the multiple genealogies of the fascist palingenetic historical ideology of national salvation through violent cleansing, focusing on the link among eighteenth-century social palingenesis, Romantic messianic nationalism, and interwar fascism. It unpacks palingenesis as a basic concept - the very core of the fascist salvific faith - and other key concepts that are part of its semantic net. Scrutinizing a variety of case studies, it shows that fascist movements drew on a broad spectrum of ancient, Christian, alchemical, Romantic, and occultist regenerative myths, relating to individual and collective identities. The Element argues that fascists imbued palingenesis with unprecedented radicalism by implementing new forms of dark palingenesis, culminating in the Holocaust as a transnational fascist project. It also highlights neofascist discourses and practices of violent redemption emerging worldwide.