Why is There No History of Fascist International Thought?

Abstract

Notwithstanding recent efforts, historians of international thought have yet to adequately address the highly heterogeneous and often paradoxical ideas espoused by international thinkers of a fascist persuasion. Instead, fascist international thought has commonly been ignored or otherwise reduced to an antiquated Darwinian realism. This article aims to present a case for how and why this fragmentary situation should be corrected. Specifically, it advocates for a closer interdisciplinary engagement between the history of international thought and the field of fascist studies. It thus implores the former to consider salient thematic and methodological developments within the latter and adapt them accordingly. The consequent research agenda that emerges feasibly offers novel insight into (I) unexplored avenues in the history of international thought and the disciplinary history of International Relations, alongside presenting both (II) theoretical and (III) normative implications for the discipline as such.