Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future

In this follow-up to How Fascism Works, Jason Stanley examines how authoritarian movements globally are rewriting history to reverse progress on race, gender, sexuality, and class. He argues that understanding these efforts requires examining the past to defend against fascism's future. Stanley contends that authoritarian regimes discourage critical examination of history and tradition, often through coercion and threats. He identifies schools and universities as key battlegrounds, noting that democracies rely on these institutions to preserve collective memory of social change driven by protests and movements. The authoritarian right, he argues, must erase this history and the practice of critical inquiry that has enabled progress. The book exposes the dangers of attacks on education, identifies tactics and funders behind these efforts, and traces their intellectual origins. Stanley illustrates how fears of fascism have shifted from theoretical concern to present-day reality, arguing that democratic societies worldwide are unprepared to defend schools and universities against the current authoritarian assault.