Fascism reimagined: intergenerational legacies in post-war Europe

This special issue explores the enduring legacies of fascism in twentieth-century Europe through an intergenerational lens, focusing on the dynamic exchanges between different age cohorts within far-right movements from the interwar period to the 1980s. Challenging the notion that the end of the Second World War marked a definitive Stunde Null (Zero Hour), this issue explores how older fascist leaders sought to revitalize their ideology by engaging younger generations. The volume investigates the roles of the 'G.I.' generation, the 'Silent' generation and the 'Baby Boomer' (following the categories created by sociologists William Strauss and Neil Howe) in shaping neo-fascist ideologies, rituals and political strategies across Western Europe. It highlights both conflict and cooperation between generations, emphasizing how memory, trauma and political identity were transmitted through family ties, commemorative practices and editorial networks. Drawing on diverse case studies from Italy, Spain, Britain and the Croatian diaspora in Argentina, the issue underscores the importance of generational theory in understanding the evolution of far-right politics. It also addresses a gap in fascist studies and generational research by offering a comparative, interdisciplinary approach that integrates cultural sociology, anthropology and historical analysis. Ultimately, this collection of essays reveals how generational dynamics were central to the transformation and persistence of fascist ideologies in post-war Europe.