What is Fascism? (Official Comintern definition)

In 1935, Georgi Dimitroff, the Bulgarian Communist, presented to the seventh World Congress of the Comintern, "The United Front Against Fascism", a report that became the official Communist approach to fascism. Dimitroff characterized fascism as having two major features: it employed a demagogic ideology which mobilized the petit bourgeoisie, peasants, and the unemployed; and it utilized terror. However, the fascist movement only became dangerous at the point when the capitalists, who in fear of their own expropriation turned to the fascists to destroy parliament and the independent institutions of the working class. In short, Dimitroff asserted that fascism was anti-Communism.

The official Comintern definition of "Fascism," as adopted by the 13h Plenary Session of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (December 1933) is as follows:

Fascism is the undisguised terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic, and most imperialistic elements of finance capital.