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New Space for the Extreme Right. An Alternative History of Western Europe in the Early Phase of the Cold War (1945 to mid 1950s)

Project description

The extreme right resurgence in post-World War II democracies

Following World War II and the early stages of the Cold War, the extreme right re-emerged in Western Europe, establishing new parties and networks. This often overlooked period has regained relevance as democratic governments reassess how to confront extremist movements. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the NEXTRIGHT project aims to shed light on how Western European democracies responded to and were influenced by the resurgence of fascism and the extreme right immediately after World War II. The project will focus on case studies from France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, analysing governmental approaches and considering the impact of the Cold War context and decolonisation.

Objective

NEXTRIGHT illuminates how Western European democracies dealt with and were impacted by the re-emergence of fascism and, more generally, the extreme right, in the immediate aftermath of World War II (from 1945 to the mid-1950s). These years were marked by the early stages of the Cold War which encouraged some governments to adopt anti-communist measures, but that season was also signed by the re-emergence of a renewed threat, that posed by the extreme right. The latter maintained its strength and economic resources in many Western European countries (beyond the right-wing Portuguese and Spanish dictatorships) as attested by the foundation of new parties, periodicals and transnational networks. Yet, this side of post-1945 Western European history is often underestimated. NEXTRIGHT reverses this trend by investigating how democratic governments in Western Europe responded to the renewed extreme-right activism, relocating this issue within a broader narrative of post-1945 Western European history. Finally, it assesses whether the Cold War context played a role in conditioning the approaches of governments and in what terms the initial phase of decolonisation influenced the revival of the extreme right.
In an era when democracy seems particularly fragile, democratic governments are reconsidering their approaches to confronting extremist movements, NEXTRIGHT, therefore, underscores the importance of developing comprehensive responses to such delicate issues, which are associated with profound ethical questions (for example, whether it is right to tolerate the intolerant).
NEXTRIGHT is a multi-archival research focused on four case studies, namely those of France, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The aim is to explore and compare the national debates and measures undertaken in each country and to investigate the response of the fascists, who developed a narrative that allowed them to continue to influence the European public sphere.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITE PARIS 8 VINCENNES SAINT-DENIS
Net EU contribution
€ 211 754,88
Address
RUE DE LA LIBERTE 2
93526 Saint-Denis
France
Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Seine-Saint-Denis
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data