Waiting for a Polish Mussolini. The Concepts and Contexts of ‘Fascism’ in Early Polish Right-Wing Political Discourse (1922–6): An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The article presents the emergence and rooting of the concept of ‘fascism’ in Polish right-wing discourses, especially in the widely understood local nationalist movement of the 20th century (National Democracy, Endecja). According to the author, the early 1920s, and above all the period of Mussolini’s gaining power in Italy, was a decisive time (Sattelzeit by R. Koselleck) for the reception and transfer of both fascist concepts and ideas as a transnational phenomenon. Still, it also significantly influenced the radicalisation of the native right-wing identity in interwar Poland. However, the author proves how vital the role of radical anti-Semitism was in forming indigenous right-wing discourses and their subsequent political practices.