British Fascism in the Inter-War Period

"Fascist-style" movements were not an abnormality in the inter-war world, especially in Europe. Virtually every European country had either fascist style movements or fascist-style authoritarian regimes sometime between 1922 and 1939. Even Stalin's "Red Menace" to the east exhibited tendencies during this period that are normally associated with Fascist-style rather than Communist regimes. That a fascist movement would be found in inter-war Britain is not a surprise. Britain, like all other European countries, dealt with the disillusionment of post-World War reality, the fear of Communist subversion, and the harshness of economic depression. But it would be irresponsible to cast British fascists as simply a cheap facsimile of its Continental counterparts. British fascism, while certainly influenced by Italy and Germany, was a uniquely British phenomenon.

Just as any in-depth study of the Italian Fascists must begin with Mussolini or a study of Nazism must begin with Hitler, studies in British fascism must begin with Sir Oswald Mosley. Unlike Mussolini and Hitler, Mosley was an aristocrat and a professional politician. After the First World War, Mosley served as a member of Parliament from 1918 to 1931. He was expelled from the Labour Party in 1931, and quickly organized the New Party. After the New Party's sound defeat in the 1931 election, Mosley started the British Union of Fascists (BUF), an organization that boasted 50,000 members at the height of its popularity in 1934.