Corso sugli avversari

by Palmiro Togliatti

This work consists of a series of lectures given by Togliatti in Moscow in 1935 to Italian refugees from fascism. Although specific to the then current Italian situation, the lectures are of much broader importance and, as Vijay Prashad makes clear in his forward to this edition, can be interpreted much more generally and are of particular relevance today. Among other things the lectures clearly delineate the class nature of fascism and the ideological and organizational tools it uses to fashion its mass social base. Togliatti made a profound analysis of the character of this base, the special problems it posed for the democratic forces in Italy and suggests methods for political work under the difficult circumstances of fascist rule.

First issued in Italy in 1970, "Lectures on Fascism" has since been published in many other countries. This was the first English language edition - a Marxist classic whose style and contents lends itself to creative application to today's events.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Italy, Sociology

365 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The general secretary of one of the greatest European communist parties lectures on fascism, its class composition and the strategy to combat it. Written for students who perhaps were not all fluent in the language, Lectures On Fascism stands out in how easy it is to understand and how systematically it presents its contents - short chapters, each a dozen-or-so pages, on a single delineated aspect of fascism. Most of all, it reminds me (and cites here and there) Lenin's Left-Wing Communism and Dimitrov's The Fascist Offensive: the main thing is not to keep one's politics 'pure' and 'untainted' but to practically defeat fascism, which serves as the terrorist spearhead of monopoly capitalism. Otherwise, in the words of Togliatti, one might as well become hermits, withdraw in the woods and worship communism there.

Completely puts to rest the Sakaiite thesis that fascism is a petty-bourgeois and even generally agrarian movement that is driven by and rewards its lowest-class supporters, the Deleuzian idea that the "people" wanted fascism, or the Adornian silliness on the totalizing tentacles of capitalism which irredeemably corrupt all they touch - so we better stay out of its way.

A, maybe the must-read on fascism, preferably before you read anything else on it.

[Tobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.5/10 would recommend

[Matthew O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very important book about understanding fascism from a Marxist-Leninist perspective. such a shame Togliatti gave amnesty to loads of fascists in 1947 when he was minister for justice. Still a very good book especially the chapters on Fascist policy in the countryside.

[Martinocorre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Documento storico molto interessante, questa serie di lezioni sul fascismo di Palmiro Togliatti ad uso dei giovani dirigenti comunisti in esilio in quel di Mosca.

Mi è piaciuta molto l'estrema chiarezza e il lucido punto di vista con cui Togliatti analizza gli errori commessi dai comunisti nell'affrontare il fenomeno del fascismo e con cui esamina il modus operandi e la natura del movimento di Mussolini, uno scritto contemporaneo ai fatti veloce, conciso e molto, molto interessante.

[Gary Bono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and highly recommended. Gives real insight into the phenomenon of Italian Fascism and into movements of segments of the extreme right in general.

Of particular interest is Togliatti's extended discussion of "corporativism" and the corporate state - concepts over which there is much confusion and little real understanding.

[Sinan Öner]

Italian Communist Party Leader Palmiro Togliatti's "Lectures on Fascism" was very useful book to understand "fascism" in the 20. Century. Palmiro Togliatti, although he was the Vice President of Communist International, worked on "fascism", "fascist movements" and the history of "fascism". Togliatti's "Lectures on Fascism" was a handbook for the 20. Century's readers in the different countries who think about "fascist movements" in Italy, in Germany, in France, in the US and in Latin American countries. Togliatti's questions, observations, impressions, descriptions and criticism about "fascism" in his "Lectures on Fascism" are the best pages of a Marxist leader on the political history of "fascism". Italian Communist Party, Italian Socialism, Italian Democracy won the Second World War against "fascism" in Italy with the leadership of Palmiro Togliatti - so, after the Second World War, Togliatti governed Italy with Christian Democrats -, with Palmiro Togliatti's "Lectures on Fascism", with his colloboration with Italian workers, peasants, and intelectuals, with his practical works in Italy.

[Max McKune]

Not the easiest read, kind of a slog to get through by virtue of it being written as a speech, not a book, and because of its specific references to Italian political figures and events. Togliatti begins his speech by critiquing Clara Zetkin's speeches on Fascism for focusing too much on the middle-class mass base of Fascism, instead of its Bourgeois leadership, but I found Zetkin's book "The Struggle Against Fascism" much more direct and illuminating. I'd recommend that one instead, as long as people keep in mind Togliatti's emphasis on Fascism being a nebulous, ever-changing political organization designed only to serve those at the top. Glad I read it and definitely think its worth it, but not a breeze of a read in my opinion.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

These collected lectures provide a social survey of the early 20th century in Italy, and trace the successes and failures of the socialist/communist opposition that permitted the rise of fascism. They focus on economic structures and the relationship between institutions like social clubs, trade unions, and political parties. There's relatively little investigation of philosophical currents or media messaging, and the reader is expected to have some familiarity with historical events like the March on Rome. There are a number of valuable insights in this work, but I see it fitting into a reading list as one work of several on the tactics of left-wing organizing against fascism, rather than a must-read or core text.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un documento interessante, che inquadra vari aspetti della penetrazione, della conquista e del consolidamento del consenso sociale da parte del regime fascista, sottolineandone punti di forza quali corporativismo e dopolavoro, e facendo autocritica su alcuni errori strategici compiuti dal partito.
Interessanti anche certi aspetti più datati e dottrinali della trattazione, come la screditante profilazione degli avversari più prossimi: gli anarchici confusionari e pasticcioni, i socialdemocratici stampella del regime, i piccolo borghesi repubblicani.

[Kübra Demirbıdak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faşizmin ortaya çıktığı ve gelistigi Italya'da bu durumlara bizzat sahit olmus Togliatti'nin verdigi açıklayıcı dersler birinci elden bilgi edinmemize yardımcı oluyor. Zevkle okuduğum güzel bir kaynaktı