Agenda

14-15 October 2023

During the last few years, the historical understanding of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis has undergone significant changes. Therefore, it seems to be the right moment to take stock of the state of research on the alliance. Recent Axis studies have increasingly questioned the previous interpretation of the Axis as a dysfunctional “alliance without allies” and pointed out similarities and convergences, such as the tortuous definition of national identity in the 19th century, the sense of being victims of the postwar order, the quest for a “third way” between liberalism and communism, and the implementation of a new form of imperialism that differed from, and competed with, the Anglo-French model. Moreover, without neglecting its inner contradictions and the reasons for its failure, Axis studies strive to understand the strength of the tripartite alliance, either real or perceived, that made it appear formidable to both its enemies and its many admirers within and outside of Europe. This has led recent research to re-examine the ideological underpinnings of the tripartite alliance and focus on the category of “global fascism” as a transnational or transimperial phenomenon that allowed collaboration between ultra-nationalist regimes during the interwar years. At the same time, this line of research has emphasized the role of representational politics, promoting a renewed attention to either the discursive construction of the image of the allies or the development of those cultural-political relations and networks of contacts that facilitated the transfer of ideas and political practices. However, the relationship between ideological and cultural aspects has not yet been systematically examined from a global perspective.

The conference The Axis Reconsidered aims to stimulate the further development of Axis studies by exploring the existing and potential interactions between the category of “global fascism,” the analysis of mutual representations, and the reconstruction of cultural-political relations. The conference is accordingly structured in three thematic panels: 1. New Perspectives on the Axis and Global Fascism will discuss fascism and the Axis, considering both their global dimension and their national or areal peculiarities. 2. Mutual Representations between Germany, Italy, and Japan will offer four different views on the images of the allies in order to understand differences and similarities. 3. Axis Cultural-Political Relations from a Global Perspective will explore the Axis cultural policy, with its structures and actors, and its significance for the building and the functioning of the tripartite alliance.

Organized by Nicola BASSONI & Daniel HEDINGER.

Programme is attached.

The conference will be streamed on Zoom.
If you would like to participate, please send an email to axisreconsidered@gmail.com