https://cmarmitage.substack.com/p/i-researched-every-attempt-to-stop
'In 1933, German conservatives thought they could control Hitler. Two years
later, they were being executed in their own homes. I spent weeks researching
this question, desperately looking for counter-examples, for hope, for any time
in history where people successfully stopped fascists after they started
winning elections.
Here's what I found: Once fascists win power democratically, they have never
been removed democratically. Not once. Ever.
I know that sounds impossible. I kept digging, thinking surely someone,
somewhere, stopped them. The actual record is so much worse than you think.
Let's start with Germany because everyone thinks they know this story. Franz
von Papen, the conservative politician who convinced President Hindenburg to
make Hitler Chancellor, said "We've hired him" in January 1933. He thought he
was so clever. Within 18 months, the Nazis were machine-gunning von Papen's
allies in their homes during the Night of Long Knives. Von Papen himself barely
escaped to Austria with his life. Every single conservative who thought they
could "control" or "moderate" Hitler was either dead, in exile, or groveling
for survival by 1934.
Italy was even dumber, if that's possible. October 1922, Mussolini announces
he's marching on Rome with 30,000 blackshirts. Except here's the thing: they
were poorly armed, disorganized, and the Italian military could have crushed
them in about three hours. The King had his generals ready. He had martial law
papers drawn up. The military was waiting for the order. Instead, he invited
Mussolini to form a government. Just handed him power. Twenty-three years
later, partisans hung Mussolini's corpse upside down at a gas station while
crowds beat it with sticks. The king died in exile. Hundreds of thousands of
Italians died for that moment of cowardice.
Spain might be the worst because everyone saw it coming. Three years of
escalating fascist violence. Actual assassination attempts. Then in 1936,
Franco and his generals launch a straight-up military coup. The Spanish
Republic begged for help. France said "not our problem." Britain said "both
sides are bad." America declared neutrality. The result? Franco ruled for 39
years. He died peacefully in his bed in 1975. They're still finding mass graves
in Spain. Still. In 2025.
Want something more recent? Look at Hungary. Orbán won democratically in 2010.
By 2011 he'd rewritten the constitution. By 2012 he controlled the media. By
2013 he'd gutted the judiciary. It's 2025 and he's still in power. The EU has
been "very concerned" for fourteen fucking years. They've written strongly
worded letters. They've held meetings. Hungary is now a one-party state in the
middle of Europe and everyone just... accepts it.
Okay, but surely someone, somewhere, stopped them?
Finland 1932 is the only clean win I can find. The fascist Lapua Movement tried
an armed coup before they'd secured government power. The military stayed loyal
to democracy, crushed the rebellion, and banned the movement. That's it. That's
the success story. One time out of roughly fifty attempts, fascists were
stopped because they were stupid enough to try violence before winning
elections.'
Via Steven Vaughan-Nichols.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
