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Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy This book investigates the establishment, evolution, and international links of the extreme right in one of the main Western European areas since 1945. Andrea Mammone details the long journey in the development of this political and cultural phenomenon in France and Italy, tracing the exchanges and the similarities among neofascist movements and thinkers across national borders from 1945 to the present day. Mam- mone analyzes the adaptation of neofascism in society and politics, the attempts to build international associations and pan-national networks, and its responses to the defeat of fascism, the Cold War, European integration, decolonization, immigration, and EU-led austerity politics. Andrea Mammone is a lecturer in modern European history in the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London. He has published extensively on the European far right, modern Italy, transnationalism, and other themes in European history, politics, and society, including numerous articles, edited books, and journal editions. Mammone has notably written for the International Herald Tribune, The Independent, Foreign Affairs, The Guardian, Al Jazeera America, Reuters, the New York Times, and the New Statesman. He has been interviewed by Al Jazeera, the BBC, Voice of America, The Observer, Radio 24, Il Fatto Quotidiano, To Vima, Weekendavisen, the New Zealand Herald, LBC Radio London, Sky News, TIME, O Globo, European Voice, The Economist, Radio Rai, and The Guardian. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy ANDREA MAMMONE Royal Holloway, University of London © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, ny 10013-2473, usa Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University’s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence. www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107030916 © Andrea Mammone 2015 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2015 Printed in the United States of America A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mammone, Andrea. Transnational neofascism in France and Italy / Andrea Mammone. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-107-03091-6 (Hardback) 1. Right-wing extremists–France–History–20th century. 2. Right-wing extremists– Italy–History–20th century. 3. Fascism–France–History–20th century. 4. Fascism– Italy–History–20th century. 5. France–Politics and government–1945– 6. Italy–Politics and government–1945–1976. 7. Italy–Politics and government–1976–1994. 8. Italy– Politics and government–1994– 9. Transnationalism–Political aspects– France. 10. Transnationalism–Political aspects–Italy. I. Title. HN440.R3M327 2015 320.53030944–dc23 2014027889 ISBN 978-1-107-03091-6 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information Ai sorrisi di Mariangela e di nonna Rosina © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information Contents Preface page ix Acknowledgments xxi List of abbreviations xxv Introduction: On the Extreme Right and Transnational History 1 A Case of National Populism? 4 Continuity and Terminology 9 Conceptualization and Fascism 13 More on Adaptation and Contemporarization 16 Writing New Histories of Europe 20 Going Transnational 25 Outline 27 1 Nations and Fascisms 31 Neofascisms and Memories: Some Initial Reflections 34 Continuities, Purges, and Support 38 Nostalgia in Extreme-Right France 45 An Oath of Fascist Allegiance: The Birth of the MSI 49 The Multifaceted Extreme Right Goes to Parliament 55 2 Regenerating Right-Wing Extremism 62 The Black Baron: Julius Evola 65 A “Universal” Neofascism 69 Maurice Bardèche, a Fascist European Writer 74 Black Internationals: “We Fought for Europe” 78 An Italian Action for Europe 84 Europe-Action in France 88 Links in Italy 90 vii © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information viii Contents 3 The Algerian Years 94 Activism in the 1950s 96 The French Extreme Right at the Time of Algeria 100 Importing “Nationalist” de Gaulle to Italy? 104 Defending French Algeria? 108 The Authoritarian and Subversive Temptation 112 Neofascism before 1968 115 4 1968 and the Response of Political Fronts 121 On the Significance of 1968 123 Italian Neofascists: Order and Disorder 127 Libérons la Sorbonne! 132 The MSI-Destra Nazionale 136 For a New Order 141 Establishing the Front National: “With Us, before It Is Too Late!” 145 5 Culture after 1968 151 Culture in Extreme-Right Italy 153 The Nouvelle Droite 158 Gramsci, Right and Left 163 Metapolitics: Using Evola 167 Hobbit Camps in Italy 171 Culture: A Bridge toward the New World 176 6 From the Euroright to a Euro-leader 180 The Neofascist Environment 183 The Euroright Years 188 Les Français d’Abord! 193 A Throne for the New King 199 On the Alleanza Nazionale 206 The Blackshirt Archipelago in Italy 210 Borrowing the Préférence Nationale 217 Transnational Webs: French movements and Marine Le Pen 220 Afterword – On the Recent Old Europe 229 Bibliography 250 Index 271 © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information Preface To find any sense in life it was pointless to search in the places where people were instructed to look. Sense was only to be found in secrets. John Berger, “Here is where we meet” Pour trouver un quelconque sens à la vie, il était vain de chercher là où on nous disait de le faire. On ne pouvait trouver du sens que dans les secrets. John Berger, “D’ici là” Se si vuole trovare un qualche senso nella vita è inutile cercare nei posti dove ti dicono di guardare. Il senso lo si può trovare solo nei segreti. John Berger, “Qui, dove ci incontriamo” Walking across Paris is an extraordinary experience and an irresistible temptation to avoid locking oneself up in a library. Springtime is espe- cially fascinating and intriguingly romantic, even beautifully melancholic. This French universe appears full of veritable discoveries: from the Jardin du Luxembourg to the Centre Georges Pompidou, and from Parc de Belleville to Saint-Germain-des-Prés – these all portray a glimpse of the finest European architecture and culture, with a typical Francophone taste. But even Paris cannot be taken alone and decontextualized. Europe, its people, cultures, and many of its histories, are much closer and more tied together than had previously been thought. As the Dutch journalist and writer Geert Mak magnificently pointed out after his “journeys” across the old continent: “Berlin can never been understood without Versailles, ix © in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-03091-6 - Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy Andrea Mammone Frontmatter More information x Preface nor London without Munich, Vichy without Verdun, Moscow without 1 Stalingrad, Boon without Dresden, Vásárosbéc without Yalta.” Europe then has always been a world full of discoveries and the starting point of further explorations. Indeed, at one point during the research for Transnational Neofascism in France and Italy, I felt like a little Cristoforo Colombo – although much less famous than my worldwide-known com- patriot, and probably less happy-go-lucky than contemporary tourists visiting the Ville-Lumière (as they are not usually committed to go through archival catalogs). My own modest voyage of discovery in such a lovely city, often at the center of this interconnected European world, was in those rather