In modern terms, Fascism is really Communism. There is little or no difference: both are totalitarian forms of central government.
From an AI:
In 2026, historians distinguish between regimes that were strictly
self-proclaimed as "Fascist" and those that were considered fascist by external observers or later academic analysis. Between 1900 and 2020, very few states officially used the term "Fascist" in their formal names, though several were governed by parties that did.
1. Self-Proclaimed Fascist States
These nations were governed by parties that explicitly adopted the title "Fascist" and identified their governing ideology as such:
Italy
(1922–1945): The primary example. The
National Fascist Party (PNF) under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 to 1943. Following Mussolini’s arrest and rescue, he led the
Italian Social Republic
(1943–1945) under the
Republican Fascist Party.
San Marino
(1923–1943): Governed by the
Sammarinese Fascist Party, which closely modeled its rule on the Italian system.
Albania
(1939–1943): Following the Italian invasion, the country was ruled by the
Albanian Fascist Party as an Italian puppet state.
2. States Governed by Self-Identified Fascist Movements
These regimes were governed by parties that identified as fascist but often chose unique national titles for their states or ideologies:
- Germany
(1933–1945): Governed by the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party). While they preferred the term "National Socialism," Hitler and the Nazis frequently acknowledged their debt to Italian Fascism and are historically classified as a variant of the ideology.
- Romania
(1940–1941): The
National Legionary State
was a brief period where the radical Iron Guard (which identified as a fascist and legionary movement) shared power with General Ion Antonescu.
- Hungary
(1944–1945): The Government of National Unity was led by the Arrow Cross Party, a self-identified fascist and "Hungarist" organization put into power by German occupation.
- Croatia
(1941–1945): The
Independent State of Croatia
was ruled by the Ustaša, a revolutionary movement that identified with fascist principles and was supported by the Axis powers.
3. States Often Labeled Fascist (Debated/Para-Fascist)
Many regimes in the mid-20th century adopted fascist aesthetics and totalitarian methods but often prioritized traditional or conservative values over the "revolutionary" aims of pure fascism:
- Spain
(1939–1975): Francisco Franco's regime used the Falange (a fascist party) as its sole legal political organization. However, historians often describe Francoism as a "para-fascist" or military-Catholic dictatorship because it preserved traditional institutions like the Church and monarchy that original fascism sought to subordinate.
- Portugal
(1933–1974): António Salazar’s Estado Novo used a single party and corporatist structures similar to Italy, but Salazar himself often distanced his regime from the more radical, "pagan" elements of German and Italian fascism.
- Greece
(1936–1941): The 4th of August Regime under Ioannis Metaxas adopted fascist symbols and a youth organization but remained a conservative monarchist dictatorship at its core.