Jason Stanley on ‘Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future’  

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Jason Stanley’s workshop at the University of Connecticut’s Dodd Center fostered discussion on how urgent it is to protect human rights in the face of far-right extremism.  

Stanley said that any kind of extremism, especially political extremism, and false propaganda for the past and present, can drastically affect societies. This discussion is part one of a two-part series, the second of which will take place in Germany.  

Stanley’s book, “Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future,” has a lot of topics that relate to both the United States and Germany. Extremists in these countries have been trying to achieve a similar goal: erasing the past to change the future.  

Stanley framed the continued violence and rise of extremism as a type of genocide and focused on the ongoing elimination of vulnerable groups, highlighting the denial of Palestinian existence by Israeli leaders. Stanley’s observations about the manipulation of history by far-right movements reveal direct distortions caused by many groups, not only in countries like Germany, but also in many others. These discussions are crucial as they guarantee that groups are responsible and remain on the correct path against extremism. 

In “Erasing History,” Stanley explores how fascist regimes throughout history have erased marginalized communities to manipulate the historical narrative to fit their agenda. Fascists will constantly rewrite history to create a justification for oppression.  

By reshaping historical events, these regimes create a homogeneous national identity that completely excludes those who do not fit their vision for the country. This kind of erasure often leads to dehumanization. One of the biggest examples is the Holocaust, and more recently, as Stanley suggests, the current treatment of Palestinians. This systematic reshaping of history is a powerful tool used to legitimize wrongful acts like exclusion and acts of violence.  

When listening to Stanley, several topics came to mind as he talked about fascist behavior happening around the globe. At the beginning he said that instead of asking if a country is fascist, ask what practices some countries are implementing that are fascist by nature. This reframes our understanding of how authoritarian tendencies infiltrate themselves so easily in democracy.  

Stanley next discusses the critical role of educational institutions in this process. Fascist regimes first target education, such as primary, and more importantly, higher education. This is to suppress dissidence and promote nationalist narratives to young minds.  

As a famous adage says, “If you want them to do something, you have got to teach them young.” Going back in history to pre-World War II Germany, the country was home to the world’s best universities, but all suffered irreparable damage due to Nazi propaganda. In little time, Nazi philosophies took over universities and controlled what was taught and who could teach it.  

Stanley made the comparison to Universities in the U.S today since there have been many states that restricted education on race, social issues and gender. He has made many parallels between historical and contemporary attacks on academic freedom in the U.S and around the world. In his book, Stanley referred to the control of education as a deliberate strategy to promote authoritarian ideals. I think that it does not matter what side of the political spectrum you are on in these discussions, a dialogue about control is crucial for ensuring that we are vigilantly against the politicization of education, because it will have long-term consequences in today’s society and in the future. 

Propaganda is the key element of fascist revisionism that Stanley emphasizes in both his workshop and book. Fascists use things like media to spread myths that glorify a romanticized and fake version of history, and at the same time, they will discredit any other perspectives and intellectuals that challenge their version of facts. Stanley cites leaders that changed history to fit their narrative such as Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Putin and other modern authoritarian figures, noting their shared strategy of showing themselves as protectors of a nation while stereotyping marginalized groups as threats to the nation. The manipulation of history not only distorts public perception but helps leaders consolidate power by fostering a sense of urgency and victimhood in the population.  

The relevance of Stanley’s work is clear, as he points out these tactics in any nation or historical period. From modern history to Nazi Germany, authoritarian regimes are a constant. The retelling of history is the “landmark” of fascist movements worldwide. In his concluding statements, Stanley warned the audience that the only humane attitude toward history is the pessimist approach, and said the most important thing is to still be vigilant against the erasure of uncomfortable truths. 

“Erasing History” illustrates both how history is a tool of oppression and critical analysis. It calls to protect the integrity of all historical truths in the fight to preserve all aspects of democratic values and human rights.  

As much as it is difficult to hear, talk and discuss some topics in history, these conversations ensure that fascist practices do not start creating more overtly harmful nationalist behaviors; and yes, even in countries that claim to have democratic values, because that is what is vital to keep us on the right course in history. More than anything else, it is vital that another world war never happens again.