Inecurian Fascism

**Inecurian Fascism**, also known as **Nesarian Fascism** (Nesarian: *Inecuriai Fasha / Nesariai Fasha*) is the term given to the ideology of Emperor Adrion and of the Imperial State from his accession in 1930 to the Bloodless Revolution of 1980, when most elements of fascism were dismantled.

Scholars have disputed the label of "fascism" ever since the 1950s. Although Adrion himself referred to the state he ruled as *fashasu* ("fascist"), both the government and the people at large used "fascism" as a generic label for any anti-liberal, anti-capitalist and anti-communist movement, and not as a name for a specific ideology or set of beliefs or policies. The self-description as "fascist" therefore does not necessarily imply any strong similarity with overseas fascists (such as those in Italy, Germany and Japan) beyond a set of shared enemies. The general consensus amongst historians is that Inecurian Fascism is sorely misnamed, though what the correct name should be remains disputed.

Though there is little debate that Inecurian Fascism should be considered far-right, it differs substantially from typical fascist ideology. On a fundamental level, Inecurian Fascism is not revolutionary, but rather strongly reactionary; it is staunchly monarchist and upholds the existence of the traditional aristocracy, it places a heavy emphasis upon religion (particularly Elveta), and Inecurian Fascist rhetoric tends to romanticise and glorify the ancient past. Whereas overseas fascist movements sought to create an alternative modernity, Inecurian Fascism rejects modernity entirely and seeks to re-establish the ancient ways; their main aim is not a national "rebirth", but a national "correction". This is most immediately evident in their aesthetics; the Inecurian Fascist state under Adrion sponsored the revival of ancient architectural styles such as Nesarian Gothic rather than pushing forward new styles, as European fascists did.

There is no consensus on what an accurate name for Inecurian Fascism should be. The most popular candidate within the academic sphere is Inecurian Integralism, but the most commonly used names in the popular sphere are National Restorationism and Radical Traditionalism, as these are the names that modern parties supporting these ideologies tend to go by. National Restorationism is the name favoured by interfaith parties, whereas Radical Traditionalism is the name favoured by parties that adhere to a specific religion.

## Nationalism and Integralism

Ultranationalism is a key facet of fascist ideology that Inecurian Fascism lacks, and some academics consider it to be the greatest key difference that sets Inecurian Fascism apart from "true" fascism. Inecurian Fascism rejects the idea that any one nation or race is superior - Emperor Adrion was in fact a frequent critic of the racist policies of overseas fascists, but never took practical action to work against them.

Inecurian Fascism rather reinforced the old notion of "Imperial integralism", an unusual and somewhat paradoxical philosophy that has been present in Inecuria since approximately the 4th century AD but was not given a name until the fascists described it. Imperial integralism (referred to simply as "integralism" in the rest of this article for brevity) is sometimes described as a combination of civic, cultural and ethnic nationalism, but this does not capture the full picture.

Like ethnic nationalists, integralists believe that one's ethnic and national identity is not just about culture and upbringing, but is also tied to blood. They believe that assimilation into another national identity is a long and multi-generational process, and it is only possible with those who are already ethnically, genetically or racially similar - in other words, they believe that assimilation into a nation is impossible if one does not physically look like all the other members of that nation and cannot seamlessly pass as a member of that nation.

Integralists also uphold the principle - sometimes termed "blood and soil" - that nations are inseparably tied to an identifiable homeland and that they are entitled to the ownership and self-government of this homeland. They are fully permissive of foreigners inhabiting a nation's homeland, but only if they inhabit it with the nation's permission, and only as long as their presence does not compromise the nation's ownership of their own homeland. Integralists believe that it is possible for an area to simultaneously be the homeland of two or more nations, but generally always favour and prioritise the oldest claim. As a result, many modern integralists and Inecurian Fascists are supportive of the existence of a Jewish homeland in Israel in principle, even if the overwhelming majority despise the actions of the state of Israel.

On the other hand, integralists reject any notions of national superiority or supremacy, particularly when ideas of superiority are used to justify persecution or warfare. Nations and races may be greater or weaker in specific aspects, but to suggest that any are flat-out superior or inferior in all aspects is antithetical to integralists; they believe that every nation has both strengths and weaknesses, and it is only by co-operation and unity between nations that these strengths can be pooled and the weaknesses can be overcome. It is not ethnic nationalism but rather international unity that defines integralism - specifically international unity under the Empire.

Integralists believe that all nations should submit to the supranational Empire, a unifying state and governing body that transcends any one nation and binds all peoples together under holy virtues and the rule of law. They believe that layered atop one's national identity should be an Imperial identity, defined by common belief in the Empire's moral principles and unflinching loyalty to the Empire - and in the case of Inecurian Fascists, specifically loyalty to the Emperor. While integralists advocate for the self-government of nations, this self-determination does not extend to full sovereignty, for they believe the Empire should wield the highest authority so that it may enforce justice and peace.

Imperial integralism, while not being linked to any specific religion, has clear origins in the ancient Elvetan doctrine of the War Against the World, the belief that the only way peace and justice can be brought to all corners of the world is union under a single state ruled according to Elvetan principles. While worldwide union under one Empire does not have to be achieved through warfare under this model, in practice it is difficult to convince other states to give up their sovereignty without the use or threat of military force, resulting in a centuries-long process of "altruistic imperialism" that was briefly revived under Adrion's reign. Whilst critics consider "altruistic imperialism" to be an oxymoron, it reflects the genuine belief of the Empire and of the Emperors - beginning as early as Athdus the Great - that imperial conquest was a necessary short-term evil for the betterment of the conquered people.

## Totalitarianism and Censorship

Although Emperor Adrion and his fellow fascists often made use of totalitarian rhetoric, exhorting Imperial subjects to have unflinching loyalty to the state and frequently describing the state as "supreme", most historians agree that the Empire under Adrion cannot be accurately described as totalitarian, and was merely a somewhat more authoritarian form of traditional Imperial models of governance that stripped away many (but not all) democratic elements.

The Empire under Adrion made itself the enemy of communism and of communists, and between 1932 and 1946 the state infamously expelled the majority of the Urilian population, but other than these exceptions the state continued the traditions of cultural and religious toleration, and generally did not seek to control the lives of citizens. The state did censor speech perceived to be a threat to the stability or "health" of the nation, but did not repress free speech to a particularly extreme degree; censorship was chiefly aimed at communists, atheists and "degenerate material", and apolitical criticism of the state was begrudgingly permitted - though it was often drowned out by propaganda attempting to discredit and ridicule it.

Criticism of Emperor Adrion himself (as opposed to the Imperial State as a whole) was also permitted, but those who did so often found themselves under surveillance and could catch the attention of the Imperial Inquisition - an organisation solely loyal to the Emperor and not the Imperial State. The exception was criticism of the Emperor's legitimacy and right to rule; according to an ancient law that still stands in the current day, stating that the Emperor is illegitimate and has no right to the crown constitutes treason and is punishable by death.

### Degenerate Material

A key area of censorship under Emperor Adrion was the repression of "degenerate material", either directly by outlawing it or indirectly by ostracising its proponents and creators and bringing them to financial ruin. This is considered the aspect where the fascist state was most totalitarian, though most scholars still do not consider this enough to classify the state as a whole to be totalitarian. The elimination of degenerate material is an aspect of Inecurian Fascism that modern adherents tend to agree with, and also an aspect heavily denounced by modern critics.

Degenerate material mainly referred to pornography, especially pornography of a particularly extreme, violent or deviant nature, as well as any kind of content that supported extreme, violent or deviant sexual practices. What was and was not considered degenerate material could be somewhat inconsistent, likely because of the differing interpretations of individual censors; in some cases even non-sexualised depictions of nudity were censored (especially nude minors), but in others only depictions of an expressly erotic nature were repressed.

Other material labelled as degenerate was anything which supported abortion, and anything which depicted the use of recreational drugs in a positive light - with the exception of alcohol, where depictions of mild non-intoxicating consumption were permitted. Although material that promoted atheism was also considered to be "degenerate", it fell under its own classification and was generally not given the label of "degenerate material".

Any material that dealt with transgenderism, transvestitism or crossdressing fell under the label of degenerate, even when crossdressing was done for non-sexual purposes; although such practices were extremely rare in Inecuria itself, this was probably a reaction to developments in the west - especially the Weimar Republic - where these communities were beginning to grow. The only permitted material that mentioned such things was material that explicitly condemned it.

It remains a matter of some dispute to what extent depictions of homosexuality fell under the label of degenerate - partly because the definition of homosexuality becomes muddled when dealing with Saverian Elves and Vampires. It has long been a tradition for Inecurian authors and artists to depict homosexual relationships between women in a socially acceptable way by making one or both partners into hermaphrodites, and less commonly they have also been used to imply homosexual relationships between men; for example the late 18th-century novel *Lotus of Ladhara* depicts a romantic relationship between a man and a masculine hermaphroditic Elf who bears a male name, and it is understood by scholars that this was a thinly veiled depiction of a homosexual relationship between two men. *Lotus of Ladhara*, it should be noted, was untouched by fascist censors.

Explicit depictions of romantic relationships between two males or two females were sometimes repressed by fascist censors, but not always. Most historians do not consider the lack of censorship in some cases to reflect a permissive attitude towards homosexuality, but rather a lack of comprehension on the part of the censors, who did not always register these relationships as romantic if the depiction did not show them engaging in sexual acts. Neutral mentions of homosexuality were typically not censored, for example non-fiction texts that discussed homosexual relationships of real-world people such as Queen Rahera Baqrahanet.

Certain modern art styles and aesthetics were also referred to by Adrion as "degenerate material", but he never took serious action against them; it is likely that this statement was merely Adrion expressing his opinion about what he thought was bad art, perhaps intending his use of official terminology to be a joke.

## Religion

The fascist state under Adrion, at an official level, considered fascism to be an interfaith movement not tied to any one religion - but in many ways, Inecurian Fascism is an ideology with strong Elvetan roots, adhering to Elvetan philosophy and moral teaching if not theology. As mentioned in the nationalism section, Inecurian Fascism inherited the Elvetan concept of the War Against the World and the aspiration to a single worldwide empire ruling according to the laws of the gods, but this was not the only part of Elvetan belief that it inherited.

Most importantly, Inecurian Fascism closely aligns with the Universalist school of Elveta. Universalist Elvetans teach that while sainthood (that is, the gift of eternal life and a place in Paradise) is impossible for non-believers, your place in the underworld depends on your deeds and not your religion; even non-Universalists are generally in agreement that according to the *Ticai Baca*, orthopraxy (correct conduct) is more important than orthodoxy (correct beliefs). In the Universalist school, belief in the gods only actually matters in the afterlife - and Universalists additionally believe that every single deceased soul will recognise the obvious reality of the gods upon meeting them face to face.

The moral framework of Inecurian Fascism is essentially identical to Universalist Elveta, believing that one's actions matter above all - but whether those actions are virtuous or wicked is determined by the Elvetan moral code. Since Elvetan morals are generally acceptable to all the major religions of Inecuria, and most major religions of the outside world (particularly Christianity), this did not lead to any significant conflict - though there are notable groups of modern Inecurian Fascists (who mostly refer to themselves as "Radical Traditionalists" rather than fascists) who overtly adhere to one religion; such groups only appear amongst monotheistic religions such as Christianity, Islam and Nakkalism.

The only major area of religious intolerance in Inecurian Fascism - and in the Universalist school of Elveta - is the treatment of atheists. While which specific god or gods you worship is mostly not relevant to Universalists and Inecurian Fascists alike, the lack of a belief in *any* god - or the recognition of divine beings but the refusal to worship them - is considered unacceptable. Imperial persecution of atheists preceded Inecurian Fascism by millennia, and continues in a limited form to this day. Atheists are considered unreliable and amoral, only acting on what they think to be right rather than what they *know* to be right, and their oaths are considered worthless because they do not believe in any being that will hold them accountable for breaking their word.

Most restrictions on atheists were lifted in the wake of the Bloodless Revolution, but many modern Inecurian Fascists call for them to be re-implemented, and atheists continue to be restricted in the field of law; because their oaths are seen as worthless, they are barred from being judges or lawyers and cannot be part of a jury, and their legal testimony is considered lesser. Although these anti-atheist laws are often characterised as "fascist" by modern critics, evidence suggests that they have always been a part of the Imperial legal system, and have origins in ancient Ascarian law.

## Economics

A key point of Inecurian Fascism established early on by Emperor Adrion is the rejection of both capitalism and socialism, perceiving both as materialistic, immoral and unjust economic systems. Inecurian Fascists strongly uphold the right to private property, which often leads leftists to characterise them as capitalist, but in fact Emperor Adrion wrote at far greater length criticising free market capitalism than he ever did about socialism. The alternative economic model which Emperor Adrion proposed was one which he characterised as rejecting materialism entirely and focussing on the spiritual and mental needs of the people; he openly admitted that it would not be as productive as economic systems which focussed on the material, but he was fully confident that it would create a happier and healthier populace who were stronger in mind, body and spirit. He was also confident that it would not lead to the same abundant waste which capitalist systems are infamous for producing.

The economic principles of Inecurian Fascism can be described as a mix of distributism and corporatism (a specific variant sometimes referred to as "feudal corporatism"). The ideology supports the fundamental principle that, in an ideal system, every household should be able to sustain themselves off their own property (the core principle of distributism) and that the economic system should be viewed through the lens of households being economic agents rather than individuals. Inecurian Fascists characterise an economy of craftsmen, artisans and land-owning farmers as morally superior to one of mass production by faceless organisations, arguing that mass production in factories lowers quality of life and work satisfaction for the labourer and leads to consumers not treating products with the value that they deserve. Inecurian Fascists also actively encourage households to be as self-reliant as possible, for example by supplementing their diet with home-grown fruits and vegetables, and they support education programs to teach the citizenry how to be self-reliant. They argue that this not only lessens their reliance on external producers, lowering the necessity of purchasing from what Inecurian Fascists admit is not a particularly efficient economic model and improving resistance to economic shocks, but it also promotes a more virtuous spirit in the people.

To co-ordinate this fractured system of many small owners on a nation-wide scale, Inecurian Fascists argue for the creation of guilds (rarely also translated as syndicates) which oversee specific areas of the economy. These guilds would be (and were, in Adrion's system) presided over by hereditary nobles, who Inecurian Fascists argue are best suited to rule as they are born and raised specifically for that purpose, but they are advised by a council of industry experts who have experience and knowledge of the industry the guild is managing.

Inecurian Fascists also argue that the country must be as self-sufficient as possible, preferably relying on no foreign imports at all, arguing that autarky both makes the country more resistant against international economic shocks and contributes to the rather vague notion of the "health of the nation". Inecurian Fascists do not, however, generally believe that foreign imports should be stopped completely, but rather that they should not be relied upon, with the exception of niche industries that rely on resources that are simply not present within the Empire.

The final core aspect of Inecurian Fascist economic policy is a complete and total opposition to private commercial banking. Inecurian Fascists argue for credit unions and a nationalised central bank, and most Inecurian Fascists claim that private commercial banking, particularly international banking, is one of the world's most destructive forces.

### Criticisms

Of course, capitalists point out that such an outlook on production will lead to a level of supply far below demand, which may not be a problem in rural areas where households are more capable of self-provision, but is an issue in urban areas where self-provision is difficult if not impossible. To this, many Inecurian Fascists do concede that a more quantity-driven approach may be necessary for the most densely populated cities, but many also argue that the whole concept of densely populated cities is itself wrong. Capitalists also argue that the whole idea of a corporate group which is explicitly forbidden to operate off maximising profit heavily restricts competition and innovation, resulting in a stagnant economy which may fall behind its international rivals, and the focus on national autarky makes the economy miss out on cheaper labour and resources found elsewhere, consequently leading to higher domestic prices than if trade were free.

Socialists, on the other hand, generally see this model as a long way off their ideal system but certainly more preferable to liberal capitalism, although they strongly object to the notion of putting the corporate groups under the rule of hereditary nobles, while at the same time appreciating to some extent that the corporate groups are otherwise staffed by experts from amongst the common people.

## Foreign Policy

> "*The world stood by and watched as we were slaughtered in our millions to keep the world safe. They repaid us for being the bulwark of the universe by taking our Empire and humiliating us. They will pay a thousandfold for their transgressions.*"
> ― Emperor Adrion I
>
>

Inecurian Fascists are not so homogenous in their views on military action, and they are largely split into three camps: the Pacifists (who are the majority), the Revanchists or Restorationists (who are a large minority) and the Imperialists (who are a small minority).

The Pacifists oppose all wars that are not directly necessary to protect the Empire and its people, and do not advocate for expansion beyond Inecuria. A lot of them support the Empire's current intervention overseas, arguing that what has been started should be seen through to the end, but they oppose the fact that such intervention was started at all.

The Revanchists or Restorationists argue for the restoration of the "Natural Empire"; that is, the Empire's borders prior to the Treaty of Singapore in 1847, the result of the East Indian War. Most of this group, though, oppose the reclamation of mainland Asia besides the Malay peninsula, arguing that Indochina is essentially a lost cause, citing the infamous fact that Indochina is generally regarded to have been a net loss for the Empire which consumed more resources to take than it ever gave back. Opponents of retaking Indochina also argue that doing so would tie the Empire down into the international politics of mainland Asia, which is considered to be undesirable.

The Imperialists, who make up a small radical minority - estimated around a tenth, but exact figures are impossible to attain - hold the pre-WW1 imperialist view, motivated by the Elvetan doctrine of the War Against the World, that the Empire should seek to conquer the entire globe and rule it fairly, justly and in accordance with the laws of the Gods, in order to achieve permanent world peace.

## International Opinion

Inecurian Fascism is often cited as the most moderate wing of Fascism and is therefore seen as the most tolerable, though it is certainly still viewed negatively by much of the western world. Although the Urilians infamously suffered under the reign of Emperor Adrion I, there was no systematic plan of extermination for any race, nor were the Inecurian Fascists racial supremacists. The ideology is often viewed somewhat sympathetically, as an extreme but entirely understandable reaction to a long history of mistreatment and humiliation at the hands of foreign powers and selfish elites, built upon the unfathomable rage the Inecurians felt at having their Empire and pride so carelessly destroyed after suffering so much to protect the world from the Dreadlands in the Civil War.

Despite this, Inecurian Fascism is often heavily criticised by liberals, socialists, communists, Urilians and Jews. While Jews were not persecuted in the Inecurian Empire during the fascist rule (which would have been fruitless anyway given the near-total absence of Jewish people within the Empire at the time), most Jews oppose it due to its similarity to ideologies which historically persecuted Jews, and the vast majority of modern Inecurian Fascists do not have a favourable opinion of the Jews; most Inecurian Fascists believe in the existence of a worldwide Jewish or Judeo-Masonic conspiracy to rule the world. Many also point out that the Fascist Inecurian Empire contradicted its own idea of safeguarding the right to free speech and free thought because communism was suppressed in the Empire, and outright banned from 1948 to 1967.

Some also point out that the economy of the fascist Empire was unsustainable and would have collapsed if it had gone on for just a few more years, however this is entirely theoretical and can never be firmly proven or disproven.