In my experience, antisocialists have little—if anything—to say about Fascist colonialism, and even less to say about how other forms of European colonialism influenced it. I suspect that they shy away from the subject because seriously arguing that European colonialism was ‘socialist’ would only open the door to a lot of awkward questions and conclusions (particularly regarding successful colonies like the United States).

But understanding Fascist colonialism is crucial to understanding Fascism. We can view the Third Reich’s colonialism in particular as part of the tradition of German imperialism, and European imperialism in general:

Parallels with colonialism are not limited to ideological justifications of rule and conquest, but are also evident in the methods employed by rulers. In the colonies, a small élite of colonial administrators and officers ruled over a much larger indigenous population that barely participated in governance.

The colonizers and the colonized belonged to different, racialized legal systems. The influence of colonial images on [Fascist] occupation policy is demonstrated by the fact that the Ostministerium (Ministry for the East) in Berlin was explicitly said to be modelled on the British India Office.

[…]

Not only were former German colonists in Africa the preferred settlers in the East, where their ‘pioneer qualities’ were thought to be useful, but trained specialists were also in great demand. Franz Ritter von Epp, director of the Imperial Colonial Office, called for colonial experts to volunteer for the East:

As the Director of the Colonial Office I urge all colonial farmers and experts from the German colonies or other tropical regions, who had volunteered for duty in our colonies, now to assist with their expertise in the southern part of the occupied East[.] Those who prove themselves are assured preferential treatment in the colonies in the future.

(Emphasis added.)

This shall not be the last time that I discuss the Twoth Reich’s colonialism’s influence on its successor. More to come next week…