In the very first episode of History’s Devils, hosts James Crossland and Jayne Friend explore the roots of British Fascism by traveling back to the 1920s. They uncover the extraordinary story of Rotha Lintorn Orman, an upper-class tomboy, socialite, and drinker, who became Britain’s first fascist.
Lintorn Orman led the British Fascisti, a small but influential group of military veterans, street fighters, and conspiracy theorists, setting the stage for movements that would persist for over a century. From secretive rallies to political machinations, Lintorn Orman's story reveals the origins of fascist ideology that echo in today’s politics.
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Further Reading
Robert Benewick, A Study of British Fascism: Political Violence & Public Order (London: Allen Lane, 1969)
Julie Gottlieb, Feminine Fascism: Women in Britain’s Fascist Movement, 1923-1945 (London: I.B. Taurus, 2000)
Martin Pugh, Hurrah for the Blackshirts!: Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars (London: Pimlico, 2006)
Thanks to SOULFULJAMTRACKS for their tune "Dark Halloween"
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