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symbolism

As there have been many different manifestations of , especially during the interwar years, there were also many different symbols of fascist movements. Fas- cist symbolism typically involved nationalist imagery.

1 Common symbolism of fascist movements

Organized fascist movements have militarist-appearing uniforms for their members; use national symbols, his- torical symbols of a nation as symbols of their move- ment; and use orchestrated rallies for pur- poses. Fascist movements are led by a “Leader” (i.e. Duce, Führer, Caudillo...) who is publicly idolized in propaganda as the nation’s saviour. A number of fascist movements use a straight-armed salute. The use of symbols, graphics, and other artifacts created A perched eagle clutching a fasces was a common symbol used by fascist and totalitarian governments has been noted as on Italian Fascist uniforms. a key aspect of their propaganda.[1] Most Fascist move- ments adopted symbols of Ancient Roman or Greek ori- magistrates; a bundle of sticks featuring an axe, indicat- gin, for example the German use of Roman standards ing the power over life and death. Before the Italian Fas- during rallies, the Italian adoption of the fasces symbol, cists adopted the fasces, the symbol had been used by the Spanish "Falange" from the Spanish word for “Pha- Italian political organizations of various political ideolo- lanx”. gies (ranging from socialist to nationalist), called (“leagues”) as a symbol of strength through unity. utilized the color black as a symbol of 2 Italy their movement, black being the color of the uniforms of their paramilitaries, known as . The blackshirt derived from Italy’s daredevil elite shock troops known as the , soldiers who were specifically trained for a life of violence and wore unique blackshirt uniforms.[2] The colour black as used by the Arditi, symbolized death.[3] Other symbols used by the Italian Fascists included the aquila, the Capitoline Wolf, and the SPQR motto, each related to Italy’s ancient Roman cultural history, which the Fascists attempted to resurrect.

3

Flag of the , bearing the fasces, which was Main article: Nazi symbolism the premier symbol of Italian Fascism. The nature of German fascism, as encapsulated in was similar to Italian Fascism ideologically and The original symbol of fascism, in Italy under Benito borrowed symbolism from the Italian Fascists such as the Mussolini, was the fasces. This is an ancient Imperial use of mass rallies, the straight-armed , and Roman symbol of power carried by lictors in front of the use of pageantry. Nazism was different from Ital-

1 2 5 MILITARIST UNIFORMS WITH NATIONALIST INSIGNIA

and insignia. Although the was a popular symbol in art prior to the regimental use by Nazi Germany and has a long heritage in many other cultures throughout history - and although many of the symbols used by the Nazis were an- cient or commonly used prior to the advent of Nazi Ger- many - because of association with Nazi use, the swastika is often considered synonymous with National Socialism and some of the other symbols still carry a negative post- World War II stigma in some Western countries, to the point where some of the symbols are banned from dis- Flag of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), play altogether. bearing the swastika, the premier symbol of Nazism which re- mains strongly associated with it in the Western world. 4

See also: Symbols of Francoism The fascist Falange in Spain utilized the yoke and arrows

NSDAP Parteiadler eagle.

ian Fascism in that it was explicitly racist in nature. Its symbol was the swastika, at the time a commonly seen symbol in the world that had experienced a revival in use in the western world in the early 20th century. German Flag of the Spanish Falange, bearing the yoke and arrows, the premier symbol of . völkisch Nationalists claimed the swastika was a symbol of the , who they claimed were the foundation as their symbol. It historically served as the symbol of the of Germanic civilization and were superior to all other shield of the monarchy of Ferdinand and Isabella and sub- races. sequent Catholic monarchs, representing a united Spain As the Italian Fascists adapted elements of their eth- and the “symbol of the heroic virtues of the race”.[4] The nic heritage to fuel a sense of by use of original uniform of the Falangistas was the blue shirt – de- symbolism, so did Nazi Germany. Turn-of-the-century rived from the blue overalls of industrial workers – which German-Austrian mystic and author Guido von List was was later combined with the red beret of the Carlists to a big influence on Reichsführer-SS , represent their merger by Franco. who introduced various ancient Germanic symbols (fil- tered through von List’s writings) most thoroughly into the SS, including the stylized double Sig Rune (von List’s then-contemporary Armanen rune version of the ancient 5 Militarist uniforms with nation- sowilo rune) for the organization itself. alist insignia The black-white-red tricolor of the German Empire was utilized as the color scheme of the Nazi flag. The color Organized fascist movements typically use military-like brown was the identifying color of Nazism (and fascism in uniforms with the symbol of their movement on them. general), due to it being the color of the SA paramilitaries In Italy, the Italian Fascist movement in 1919 wore black (also known as Brownshirts). military-like uniforms, and were nicknamed Blackshirts. Other historical symbols that were already in use by the In power, uniforms during the Fascist era extended to German Army to varying degrees prior to the Nazi Ger- both the party and the military which typically bore fasces many, such as the and Totenkopf, were also or an eagle clutching a fasces on their caps or on the left used in a new, more industrialized manner on uniforms arm section of the uniform. 3

ored uniform for their movement, the tan-brown colored uniform of the SA paramilitary group earned the group and the Nazis themselves the nickname of the Brown- shirts. The Nazis used the swastika for their uniforms and copied the Italian Fascists’ uniforms, with an eagle clutching a wreathed swastika instead of a fasces, and a Nazi flag arm sash on the left arm section of the uniform for party members. Other fascist countries largely copied the symbolism of the Italian Fascists and German Nazis for their move- ments. Like them, their uniforms looked typically like military uniforms with Nationalist type insignia of the movement. The Spanish Falange adopted dark blue shirts for their party members, symbolizing Spanish workers, many of whom wore blue shirts. Berets were also used, representing their Carlist supporters. The Spanish Blue Division expeditionary volunteers sent to the Eastern Front of WW2 in (relatively indirect) support of the Ger- mans likewise wore blue shirts, berets and their army trousers.

6 Other regions in uniform.

Symbol of the Ustaše of in uniform. Many other fascist movements did not win power or were relatively minor regimes in comparison and their symbol- In Germany, the fascist Nazi movement was similar to the ism is not well-remembered today in many parts of the Italian Fascists in that they initially used a specifically col- world. 4 7 CONTEMPORARY USAGE

• The symbol of the Bulgarian national-socialist 7 Contemporary usage Ratnik movements was a sun cross named “Bogar”. • The chief symbol of Sir 's British Union of Fascists was the Flash and Circle adopted in 1936, which represented the “flash of action” within the “circle of unity” that symbolized the all- important British State (which is also used by the People’s Action Party of Singapore). The BUF pre- viously used the image of a gold fasces superim- posed on a blue circle, located centrally on a red background. The emblem was also disparagingly re- ferred to as “The Flash In The Pan”, particularly by opponents of Mosley. • The symbol of the Croatian Ustaše movement was Celtic cross on a Neo-Nazi flag capital letter U with the flaming grenade and the Croatian coat of arms. • A prominent symbol of the Greek 4th of August Regime was the Labrys/Pelekys, the double-headed axe which thought to be the oldest symbol of all Hellenic civilizations. • The symbol of Hungary's fascistic was the Arrow Cross. • Austria’s Fatherland’s Front that ruled the country from 1933 to 1938, used the crutch cross as its sym- bol. • The symbol of the Norwegian was as golden/yellow sun cross on red background. • The symbol of Salazar’s Portuguese Estado Novo regime was a stylized version of the Armillary sphere and shield found on the national flag; its ri- vals in the Movimento Nacional-Sindicalista used the Order of Christ Cross. Ukrainian National Union • The symbol of the Romanian was a triple cross (a variant of the triple parted and fretted) - Some neo-Nazi organizations continue to use the three parallel verticals intersected with three paral- swastika, but many have moved away from such in- lel horizontals, usually in black; it was meant to rep- flammatory symbols of early fascism. Some neo-fascist resent prison bars, as a badge of martyrdom. It was groups use symbols that are reminiscent of the swastika sometimes deemed the Archangel Michael Cross, af- or other cultural or ancestral symbols that may evoke na- ter the patron saint of the movement. tionalistic sentiment but do not carry the same racist con- notations. • Several Polish far-right and nationalist organizations have used the Mieczyk Chrobrego ([Boleslaus] the • Brave’s Sword), which resembles the Szczerbiec, or Crosses: the coronation sword of Polish kings. • Celtic cross - used by the Italian New Force, • The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands 's website and VSBD/PdA, a (NSB) used the Wolfsangel as its main symbol. banned German neo- • • The Brazilian Integralist Party used an upper case Cross crosslet - Lithuanian National Socialist sigma Party • Sun cross - Nordic Reich Party, Sweden • The Russian Movement Against Illegal Immigra- tion, which is often considered to be a moderate and • Swastika - continues to be used by groups such as the legal neo-Nazi movement, uses the black-colored , the São Paulo Skinheads in road sign “Stop Prohibited” (similar to the swastika) Brazil and was used by the National Socialist Front as their main symbol. of Sweden 5

• Bladed swastika - • Wolfsangel symbol - • used by the SS and Hitlerjugend, as well as var- ious Neo-Nazi groups • , a paramilitary militia fight- ing against pro-Russian separatists in Eastern [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] • Cogwheel - Hungarian Welfare Association • Labrys (or Pelekys) - a Minoic double-headed axe, used by some fascist Greek nostalgics • Runes: • Algiz rune - All-Germanic Heathens’ Front • Odal rune • Sigel rune, especially on the Schutzstaffel badge, sometimes confused with or used in- terchangeably with Eihwaz. • Tyr rune was on the badge of the SA Reichs- führerschulen in Nazi Germany, and is some- times used by neo-Nazis • Orkhon script letters - used by followers of Nihal Atsiz, e.g.Türkçü Toplumcu Budun Derneği Hindu boy with swastika painted on his shaven head as a reli- • Triskelion-like symbol composed of three 7s - gious rite Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resis- tance Movement), Republic of South Africa Fasces are used in the Coat of arms and wordmark of the Swedish Police, and the Swedish Security Service, as well 8 Pejorative symbolism as in that of the Spanish Civil Guard.

Opponents of fascism have identified symbols seen in a pejorative manner such as the jackboot. 10 See also

• Anarchist symbolism

9 Non-fascist usage • Communist symbolism

Some of these symbols are also used by a variety of • Schwarze Sonne non-fascist movements and organizations. The swastika • has been a notable symbol in Jainism, Buddhism and Strafgesetzbuch section 86a Hinduism, as well as in modern pagan religions, such as in Germanic neopaganism. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) states: 11 References

Nazi Germany glorified an idealized [1] Heller, Steven (2008). Iron Fists: Branding the 20th- “Aryan/Norse” heritage, consequently extrem- Century Totalitarian State. Phaidon Press. p. 240. ISBN ists have appropriated many symbols from 0-7148-4846-8. pre-Christian Europe for their own uses. They [2] Roger Griffin, Matthew Feldman. Fascism: Fascism and give such symbols a racist significance, even culture. London, England, UK; New York, New York, though the symbols did not originally have USA: Routledge, 2004. p. 207. such meaning and are often used by nonracists today, especially practitioners of modern [3] Stanley G. Payne. A history of fascism, 1914-1945. Oxon, pagan religions.[14] England, UK: Digital Printing, 2005. Pp. 90. 6 12 EXTERNAL LINKS

[4] Wendy Parkins. Fashioning the body politic: dress, gender, citizenship. Oxford, England, UK; New York, New York, USA: Berg, 2002. Pp. 178

[5] Preparing for War With Ukraine’s Fascist Defenders of Freedom

[6] “Azov Battalion fighters parading with the Wolfsangel banner favoured by neo-Nazis”

[7] USA nie będą szkolić batalionu Azow

[8] One year on: where are the far-right forces of Ukraine? The group proudly displays the Wolfsangel symbols - a motif used by several SS groups in Nazi Germany

[9] Gespenstischer Neonazi- Aufmarsch in der Ukraine

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13] Ukraine crisis: the neo-Nazi brigade fighting pro-Russian separatists The Telegraph Tom Parfitt 11 August 2014

[14] adl.org, accessed 19 December 2007

12 External links

• Neonazi flags

• Neonazi flag symbolism • Fascist signs and symbols at Forbidden Symbols 7

13 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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