Fascism 2 (2013) 41–67 brill.com/fasc Separatist Currents in Moravian Fascism and National Socialism Miroslav Mareš Masaryk University - Faculty of Social Studies - Political Science Jostova 10, 639 00 Brno, Czech Republic
[email protected] Abstract The article deals with separatism within Moravian fascism and National Socialism. It identifies fundamental links between ethnic nationalism and fascism, and describes the development of the ‘Moravian question’ within the context of Central European history. The separatist tenden- cies of Moravian fascism and National Socialism are examined in the context of the interwar history, the period of occupation of the Czech lands, and postwar developments, including contemporary tendencies. It also identifies similarities with and differences from some other ethno-national fascisms in Europe. The author concludes that although marginal, Moravian fascism and National Socialism have enjoyed a long existence. Keywords Moravia; fascism; National Socialism; ethnic extremism; separatism; Central Europe Introduction Since they first came into being, fascism and National Socialism have been the ideological basis of certain separatist movements. This is also true of part of the Moravian movement that has been active on the territory of today’s Czech Republic. This article identifies the basic forms in which fascism and National Socialism became intertwined with Moravian separatism, and traces their development. A comparative framework for the whole issue is also provided. The issue of separatist tendencies within Moravian fascism and National Socialism has not been analyzed by historians to the extent of fully engaging * This article was written as part of the grant project GAČR GA407/09/0100 ‘Contemporary paramilitarism in the Czech Republic in the context of transnational developmental trends of political violence in Europe.’ Translated by Štěpán Kaňa.