Analysis of Fascism: Kershaw, Evans & Trotsky

Kershaw & Evans on the Roots of Fascism

Kershaw’s Analysis

• Emphasizes structural weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, economic collapse, and WWI’s impact.
• Argues that Hitler’s rise was due to multiple actors enabling him rather than inevitability.
• Recognizes capitalist class’s tacit support but does not see a direct conspiracy.

Evans’ Analysis

• Sees fascism as a reaction to economic instability, nationalism, and socialist fear.
• Argues that fascism’s rise was contingent, not inevitable.
• Focuses on the middle class’s role in supporting fascism due to fear of decline.

Trotsky’s Dialectical Materialist Analysis

Fascism as Counter-Revolution

• Fascism is capitalism’s response to revolutionary threats from the working class.
• Not just authoritarianism, but a mass movement to destroy the workers' movement.

The Role of the Middle Class

• Like Evans, sees the petty bourgeoisie as key supporters of fascism.
• However, emphasizes their role as a political reactionary force manipulated by capital.

Fascism is Preventable

• Rejects Stalinist mechanical determinism; fascism is not inevitable.
• Believes it could have been stopped through decisive leadership and a united front.

Comparison Table

Aspect	Kershaw & Evans	Trotsky (Dialectical Materialism)
Fascism as crisis response	Reaction to economic/social instability	Bourgeois counter-revolution against socialism
Role of the Middle Class	Fearful, crisis-driven supporters	Reactionary mass base weaponized by capital
Role of the Ruling Class	Somewhat complicit but not orchestrating	Actively enabling fascism to crush the left
Historical Inevitability	No, history is contingent	No, but failure of leadership matters
Prevention of Fascism	Difficult due to chaotic politics	Preventable through revolutionary leadership

Conclusion

Trotsky’s dialectical materialist approach offers a **more agency-driven** analysis of fascism than Kershaw or Evans. While the historians provide valuable insights into fascism’s economic and social conditions, Trotsky uniquely frames it as a **conscious counter-revolutionary strategy of the ruling class** to suppress a revolutionary threat. Unlike Stalinist mechanical determinism, Trotsky insists that fascism was **not inevitable but preventable**, provided the working class acted decisively.