‘The Imperial Spirit’: British Fascism and Empire, 1919-1940

Abstract

This article analyses the relationship between British fascism and Empire during the interwar period. Based on the premise that historians have neglected the imperial dimension of fascist ideology in interwar Britain, a brief review of existing scholarship will be undertaken before an analysis of fascist ideological conceptions of the British Empire. Looking at the three major fascist parties during the interwar era, the British Fascisti (BF), Imperial Fascist League (IFL) and British Union of Fascists (BUF), it will be demonstrated that whilst unequivocal support for the Empire was a consistent theme throughout fascist rhetoric, individual parties adapted their imperial visions according to their respective ideology. For the BF, the Empire was under constant threat from communist subversion at home and abroad. The IFL looked to demonstrate how international Jewry was attempting to destroy the British Empire. The BUF, developing the most sophisticated ideology and policies relating to Empire, believed a unified ‘organic’ Empire must be consolidated through trade and one ruler if Britain was to remain a global power fit to fight off the pincers of Jewish and communist subversion. This article will conclude by highlighting the need for further enquiry into the relationship between the extreme right and Empire.