Is Russia fascist? : unraveling propaganda east and west

In Is Russia Fascist?, Marlene Laruelle argues that the charge of fascism has become a strategic narrative of the current world order. Vladimir Putin's regime has increasingly been accused of embracing fascism, supposedly evidenced by Russia's annexation of Crimea, its historical revisionism, attacks on liberal democratic values, and its support for far-right movements in Europe. But at the same time Russia has branded itself as the world's preeminent antifascist power because of its sacrifices during the Second World War while it has also emphasized how opponents to the Soviet Union in Central and Eastern Europe collaborated with Nazi Germany.Laruelle closely analyzes accusations of fascism toward Russia, soberly assessing both their origins and their accuracy. By labeling ideological opponents as fascist, regardless of their actual values or actions, geopolitical rivals are able to frame their own vision of the world and claim the moral high ground. Through a detailed examination of the Russian domestic scene and the Kremlin's foreign policy rationales, Laruelle disentangles the foundation for, meaning, and validity of accusations of fascism in and around Russia. Is Russia Fascist? shows that the efforts to label opponents as fascist is ultimately an attempt to determine the role of Russia in Europe's future.ISBN : 9781501754135

In Is Russia Fascist?, Marlene Laruelle argues that the charge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the current world order. Vladimir Putin's regime has increasingly been accused of embracing fascism, supposedly evidenced by Russia's annexation of Crimea, its historical revisionism, attacks on liberal democratic values, and its support for far-right movements in Europe. But at the same time Russia has branded itself as the world's preeminent antifascist power because of its sacrifices during the Second World War while it has also emphasized how opponents to the Soviet Union in Central and Eastern Europe collaborated with Nazi Germany.

Laruelle closely analyzes accusations of fascism toward Russia, soberly assessing both their origins and their accuracy. By labeling ideological opponents as fascist, regardless of their actual values or actions, geopolitical rivals are able to frame their own vision of the world and claim the moral high ground. Through a detailed examination of the Russian domestic scene and the Kremlin's foreign policy rationales, Laruelle disentangles the foundation for, meaning, and validity of accusations of fascism in and around Russia. Is Russia Fascist? shows that the efforts to label opponents as fascist is ultimately an attempt to determine the role of Russia in Europe's future.

In Is Russia Fascist?, Marlene Laruelle argues that the charge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the current world order. Vladimir Putin's regime has increasingly been accused of embracing fascism, supposedly evidenced by Russia's annexation of Crimea, its historical revisionism, attacks on liberal democratic values, and its support for far-right movements in Europe. But at the same time Russia has branded itself as the world's preeminent antifascist power because of its sacrifices during the Second World War while it has also emphasized how opponents to the Soviet Union in Central and Eastern Europe collaborated with Nazi Germany. Laruelle closely analyzes accusations of fascism toward Russia, soberly assessing both their origins and their accuracy. By labeling ideological opponents as fascist, regardless of their actual values or actions, geopolitical rivals are able to frame their own vision of the world and claim the moral high ground. Through a detailed examination of the Russian domestic scene and the Kremlin's foreign policy rationales, Laruelle disentangles the foundation for, meaning, and validity of accusations of fascism in and around Russia. Is Russia Fascist? shows that the efforts to label opponents as fascist is ultimately an attempt to determine the role of Russia in Europe's future. -- From dust jacket

In Is Russia Fascist?, Marlene Laruelle argues that thecharge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the currentworld order. Vladimir Putin's regime has increasingly been accusedof embracing fascism, supposedly evidenced by Russia's annexationof Crimea, its historical revisionism, attacks on liberaldemocratic values, and its support for far-right movements inEurope. But at the same time Russia has branded itself as theworld's preeminent antifascist power because of its sacrificesduring the Second World War while it has also emphasized howopponents to the Soviet Union in Central and Eastern Europecollaborated with Nazi Germany.

Laruelle closely analyzes accusations of fascism toward Russia,soberly assessing both their origins and their accuracy. Bylabeling ideological opponents as fascist, regardless of theiractual values or actions, geopolitical rivals are able to frametheir own vision of the world and claim the moral high ground.Through a detailed examination of the Russian domestic scene andthe Kremlin's foreign policy rationales, Laruelle disentangles thefoundation for, meaning, and validity of accusations of fascism inand around Russia. Is Russia Fascist? shows that theefforts to label opponents as fascist is ultimately an attempt todetermine the role of Russia in Europe's future.

Is Russia Fascist? Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Russia and the Symbolic Landscape of Fascism 1. Russia’s “Fascism” or “Illiberalism? 2. The Soviet Legacy in Thinking about Fascism 3. Antifascism as the Renewed Social Consensus under Putin 4. International Memory Wars: Equating the Soviet Union with Nazism 5. The Putin Regime’s Ideological Plurality 6. Russia’s Fascist Thinkers and Doers 7. Russia’s Honeymoon with the European Far Right 8. Why the Russian Regime Is Not Fascist Conclusion: Russia’s Memory and the Future of Europe Notes Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z Is Russia Fascist? argues that the charge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the current world order. Through a detailed examination of the Russian domestic scene and the Kremlin's foreign policy rationales, it disentangles the foundation for, meaning, and validity of accusations of fascism in and around Russia. -- Cornell University Press "The accusation of fascism has been used to label Putin's Russia, while in return the Kremlin has been presenting Russia as the anti-fascist power. This mutual accusation is in fact a struggle to define the future of Europe, and Russia's inclusion or exclusion from it"-- Provided by publisher