The Dynamics of Fascism 1001

Map 25.1 Dictatorships in Europe, 1932-1937 States ruled by dictators before

1932; states that became dictatorships after 1932; remaining democracies in 1937.

sions. The states in which authoritarian dictators came to power lacked
strong traditions of parliamentary democracy. Moreover, the seeming
instability of parliamentary regimes in times of crisis during the 1920s
contributed to the attractiveness of the idea of a strong leader—a dictator

who would restore order and embody nationalist aspirations, fulfilling what
some considered their nation’s “historic destiny.” Frenzied crowds, with
arms raised in fascist salutes, greeted their authoritarian leaders as heroes.
The irony was, of course, that fascist gangs themselves were largely respon­
sible for creating the political turmoil that ultimately led to the destruction
of parliamentary governments.