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20th Century History: Fascism Between Myth and Reality – Italy and Germany in Comparison with Dr Jan Vermeiren from University of East Anglia
March 2 @ 11:10 - 11:55
In this 20th Century History session, Dr Jan Vermeiren, Associate Professor in Modern German History in the School of History and Art History at University of East Anglia, will run an interactive talk for students on Fascism Between Myth and Reality: Italy and Germany in Comparison.
This session takes a fresh look at European fascist regimes, focusing on Italy and Germany and on what recent historians have learned through comparison. Rather than treating fascism as a rigid or all-powerful system, it explores its contradictions and limits: revolutionary yet deeply conservative; embracing modern technology and mass politics while looking to mythic pasts and organic social ideals; and ambitious in its claims to reshape society but far less effective in practice.
The session also re-examines fascism’s radical nationalist character by considering the close interaction, mutual influence, and alliance between the two regimes. Placing Mussolini and Hitler centre stage – not just as dictators, but as carefully constructed public figures – it asks how images of leadership were created, and how far they matched political and social realities.
The event is designed to encourage critical thinking about how fascism is defined, compared, and interpreted.
Lecturer Profile: Dr Jan Vermeiren
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, History and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: