Violence – both its perception and, more critically, its application – serves as a defining characteristic that distinguishes radical movements from extremist ones. The role of violence, along with its lasting consequences – including repression, expulsion, and extermination – shapes the global experiences of various far-right movements, influencing their ideologies, political actions, and regimes.
Violence is a fundamental historical element in understanding extremism, not only as an ideology but also as a movement and as a regime. Extremism, by its very nature, is inseparable from extreme violence. Within extremist movements, peace – whether internal or external – is regarded as a contemptible notion, often dismissed as weakness or betrayal.
For historical far-right movements, violence was not merely a tool; it was the very foundation of their policies and actions. These movements embodied violence at their core, fostering aggressive, militant, and hyper-masculine forces. Violence was not just an instrument of power but was often revered as a sacred, purifying force. The Italian philosopher Norberto Bobbio asserted that "violence is the ideology of fascism [as an extremist movement]." This underscores the integral role that violence played in shaping and sustaining extremist ideologies.
Extremist violence was frequently justified as a necessary measure to prevent perceived national catastrophe. Such movements thrived on the notion of existential threats, often fabricating elaborate conspiracies to incite fear and urgency among their followers. This sense of impending annihilation allowed fascist movements to adopt radical and intolerant measures, arguing that the use of state military force should be expansive and permissive rather than restrained. In their worldview, violence was not just justified – it was an imperative.
Importantly, violence does not necessarily originate from individuals with pathological tendencies. Hannah Arendt, in her analysis of Adolf Eichmann, introduced the concept of the banality of evil, highlighting how individuals who commit heinous acts are often ordinary people rather than the inhuman monsters we imagine them to be. In this context, the perpetrators of violence and terrorism within far-right movements are not aberrations but rather products of a political and social environment that normalizes and legitimizes violent action.
Within far-right movements, violent political subcultures can emerge, fostering the perception that violence is a legitimate and even essential component of the political process. In such environments, violence is not merely tolerated – it becomes ingrained in the movement’s identity, reinforcing its ideological rigidity and perpetuating cycles of aggression.
