'Wie ogen heeft om te zien' : de Nederlandse pers en het fascisme in Europa (1919-1933)

The rise of fascism in the twenties has been a determining factor in the events that have since taken place in Europe and which have led to the Second World War. In 1919 a nationalistic movement developed which called itself fascist, a movement which turned against the labour movement in industries and the farmers' movement in Northern Italy with force. Fascism was able to blossom and come to power without any significant opposition of the weak Italian government. After the October 1922 March on Rome of some tens of thousands fascists, King Victor Emanuel III appointed Mussolini as prime minister. Fascism gained solid footing in Italy and was an inspiration to right-wing authoritarian and ultra-nationalistic movements in other countries. Shortly after his coup in 1923, the Spanish dictator Primo de Rivera announced his wish to introduce fascism in his own country. It convinced the new German nationalsocialist movement the success of Italian fascism could be replicated in Germany. In The Netherlands no fascist movement of any significance developed. Yet there was widespread admiration for Mussolini and some Protestant, Catholic and conservative-liberal circles expressed a keen interest in the fascist ideology. In general, the Interwar years are well documented, yet the Dutch reaction to fascism in the twenties has received little attention. Most publications focus on the thirties and the wartime occupation. To learn about the Dutch reaction to the rise of fascism and the effect this had in the debate on democracy, we need to turn to the press. Nowadays multiple information sources exist and there are numerous ways in which public opinion can be influenced, options which did not exist in the twenties. In those days the written press was the most important information source. It not only provided reports on events nearby or further afield, it also assessed the events and provided contextual coloration. In this way the press influenced its readers' ideas and opinions. Degree supervisors: Prof. dr. R.A.M. Aerts, Prof. dr. W.P. van Meurs. 318 pages ; 24 cm