A Le Monde video explains antifascism, born in reaction to the first fascist party in 1920s Italy, and its current evolutions. The adversaries of these movements have also changed over time. The term 'antifa' refers to militants opposing fascism and the far right.
Antifascism historically developed in Italy in the early 1920s, when paramilitary groups linked to Benito Mussolini violently targeted workers' and socialist organizations. The movement gained an international dimension with Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany in 1933, the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939, and the formation of far-right leagues in France during the interwar period.
After 1945, in France and Italy, antifascists continued the fights against fascist and Nazi regimes. In France, contemporary antifascism largely stems from the rise of Jean-Marie Le Pen's Front National starting in the 1980s. Since the 2010s, it has renewed in response to current threats.
The video, featuring insights from sociologist Ugo Palheta, co-author of Face à la menace fasciste. Sortir de l’autoritarisme (Textuel, 2021), traces these origins and evolutions. It also mentions the antifascist groupuscule Jeune Garde, implicated in the death of far-right militant Quentin Deranque. For more on this new generation of young French antifascists, an investigation is referenced.
This production is part of Le Monde's 'Understand in Three Minutes' series by the Vertical Videos service, shared on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook to make current events accessible.
