Figure 1.--Here some of the Jewish Kindertransport children arrive in Harwhich, a British Northsea Port in Essex (December 1938). Despite ideological views, there are few differences between Communism and Fascism, both have the standard trappings of totalitarianism. One commnly sited difference is the NAZI race mania. Actually anti-Semitism was hardkly lacking in the Sovie Union, although not approching the same order as the NAZI Holocaust targetung Jews. Communist regimes have, howevr, conducted even larger killing campaigns. And some of those campaugns have targeted for religious and ethnic groups.

The Communist seizure of control in Russia (1917) was closely followed by the Fascist seizure of Italy (1922). Japan evolved from a parlimentary democracy to a militarist regime with Fascist elements (1920s-30s). NAZI Germany (1933), a Fascist variant, was the next totalitarian power to appear. There is a tendency to think of Fascism as the opposite of Communism. It is not. Both are Socialist variants involving limitations on political (democracy) and economic (capitalism) freedom. The Black Shirts and Brown Shirts who marched for Fascism in the 1920s and 30s sgred many of the same goals as the Communists, a New Order to redistribute wealth and a fundamental social revolution. This is why repressive institutions and policies are shared by both the Facists and Communists, like secret police, concentration camps, slave labor, denial of civil rights, government-controlled media, supression of free trade union, limitations on economic freedom (capitalism), and all the other instruments of oppression as well as mass murder. As a result, Fascist regimes have set refugees in motion. As the economic policies of the Fascists were not as disastrous as those of the Communists, there was less presure to flee, except for targeted groups like Jews. The massive refugee flow came with the War that Hitler and Stalin launched. Here the refugee flow was limited by the phenomenal early success of German and Japanese arms. People had no where to flee to. Not only were countries like Poland and the Netherlands quickly overwalmed by NAZI arms, but they were surrounded by NAZI occupied countrirs. The NAZIs were thus able to establish a vast system of concentration and labor camps to control people tht otherwise might have fled. Where flight was possible such as China, people fled in the millions. The major refugee problem came after the War when the millions of peole the NAZIs brought into the Reich to do war work had to be returned home. Here the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was set up to assist the millions of refugees. UNRRA has saved millions of lives and has beem an indiscensible agency. That said, UNRRA in some cases have perpetuated refugees rather than promoted assumilation in part by taking sides.

Created: 11:17 AM 9/18/2018
Last updated: 11:17 AM 9/18/2018