The British Union of Fascists, 1932--1940.
Item
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Title
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The British Union of Fascists, 1932--1940.
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Identifier
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AAI9997109
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identifier
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9997109
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Creator
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McMurray, Matthew Clay.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Joel H. Wiener
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Date
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2001
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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History, Modern | History, European | Political Science, General
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Abstract
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This study traces the history of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) which was founded by Sir Oswald Mosley in 1932 and dissolved by the Churchill Government as a threat to national security during the Second World War. It identifies and analyzes the party's major domestic and international proposals, seeks to determine whether its roots were British or foreign, and explains why it achieved success in only a few geographic areas and among a small number of occupational groups and never became a legitimate conder for power. The major theme is that the BUF had British not foreign roots and many of the ingredients to become a larger, more influential movement before it lost its focus with issues such as anti-Semitism and civil order.;Several topics that have received little scholarly attention are explored, including the party's views on Soviet expansionism, the Spanish Civil War, the BUF press, and the role Mosley's lieutenants played, such as William Joyce, Alexander Raven Thomson, Robert Gordon-Canning, and A. K. Chesterton.;The study is divided into two sections. In the first the BUF's domestic program is examined with special attention given to its proposals to establish a Corporate State, strengthen ties with the Empire, and attempt to appeal to both the Left and Right and women. The anti-Semitic campaign it launched in 1934 is also traced. The next section discusses its international program, particularly its views on the League of Nations, the Spanish Civil War, communist expansionism, and Nazi Germany. In the last chapter the major ideas of the study are reviewed and the party's significance explained.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
