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'''Fascism''' is a [[totalitarian]] economic and political ideology that arose in early twentieth-century Europe and came to dominate the social and political systems of Italy under [[Benito Mussolini]] and Germany under [[Adolf Hitler]]. It professed to be religious and claimed to take a spiritual view of life (unlike the other great totalitarian system of the era, atheistic [[Communism]]), but it was actively hostile towards conventional religion. Fascism was influential in Portugal as well, and had followers in most European countries and in Argentina. The last fascist regime, that of [[Francisco Franco]] in Spain, came to an end in 1975.

'''Fascism''' is a [[totalitarian]] economic and political ideology that arose in early twentieth-century Europe and came to dominate the social and political systems of Italy under [[Benito Mussolini]] and Germany under [[Adolf Hitler]]. It professed to be religious and claimed to take a spiritual view of life (unlike the other great totalitarian system of the era, atheistic [[Communism]]), but it was actively hostile towards conventional religion. Fascism was influential in Portugal as well, and had followers in most European countries and in Argentina. The last regime that had some fascist elements, that of [[Francisco Franco]] in Spain, came to an end in 1975.

The name "fascism" derives from an ancient Roman symbol, the ''[[fasces]],'' a group of birch rods bundled together with an axe. It symbolizes strength in unity; the rods are weak by themselves but strong when bundled together.  Historian [[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.]] has stated,  

The name "fascism" derives from an ancient Roman symbol, the ''[[fasces]],'' a group of birch rods bundled together with an axe. It symbolizes strength in unity; the rods are weak by themselves but strong when bundled together.  Historian [[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.]] has stated,