Fascism, War and the British Officer Class: The Case of Robert Gordon-Canning

Abstract

The case of Robert Gordon-Canning highlights the crucial role of culture, both national and institutional, on the development of doctrine by the British Union of Fascists in the interwar period. This article aims to explore in depth the career of Gordon-Canning and present the cultural factors that pushed him to adopt apocalyptic visions of war. These visions of war became the mainstay of foreign and defence polices of the BUF, due to Gordon-Canning’s influential position within the movement.