Description
In his major work on communism, the international bestseller The Passing of an Illusion, the eminent French historian François Furet devoted a lengthy footnote to German historian Ernst Nolte’s interpretation of fascism. Nolte responded, a correspondence ensued, and the result was the remarkable exchange presented in this volume. Fascism and Communism offers readers the rare opportunity to witness and learn from a confrontation between two of the world’s most distinguished historians over one of the most serious subjects of our time, the history and meaning of the attack on liberal democracy by fascism and communism.
Far more than an exchange of opposing views between scholars, this is a true dialogue, and the letters in this volume give a uniquely informed and insightful overview of the history of the twentieth century as it was shaped by the two dominant ideological currents of fascism and communism. Each from a different perspective, Furet and Nolte offer compelling arguments for the common genealogy of these two ideologies as well as reasons for the intellectual community’s rejection of this explosive thesis throughout the twentieth century. This discussion leads to a deeper understanding of the nature of totalitarianism as well as the trajectory and interpretation of modern European history.