The Italian fascists most definitely did NOT see themselves as socialists. Mostly because they considered socialists deluded idiots for assuming class struggle is the greatest bringer of solidarity; they indeed, correctly, asserted that it was tribe, or in a more modern context, your nation, that brought people of all stripes together in times of strive.
Mussolini derided socialism because he considered fascism to be a rectification of socialisms flaws, however, because this rectification undermined a few of its most integral axioms, it could no longer be called socialism.
From this the central conflict between socialists and fascists also arise;
you know for certain that it isn't principle nor conduct that they despise of eachother, so what is it? Well, the socialist axiom makes them innately revolutionary (since many of our habits, world views, economic structures et al are shaped by the societal class structure. To end class, even if we all know the "pigs are more equal" paradigm that invariably arises once someone finds out about the monopoly of violence again, would completely upend anyones way of life), while the fascists are innately counter-revolutionary (Because they are so nationalists, they place great emphasis on national identity and the preservation of it, this means they have to put said world views and tradition in stasis, by legal means if necessary). The revolutionary cannot tolerate the counter-revolutionary, even if they agree on method and principle.
Nazi's are an interesting case; they were an attempt to reintregrate fascism with socialism, in order to unite the disparate factions of moderate nationalists and socialists into a single faction against the Bolshevik communists during Weimar. The Nazi's are neither left wing nor right wing, instead they are a stunted fusion of both. Somehow they were able of being both reactionary and revolutionary. It should be noted that Nazi Germany most definitively became a lot, a LOT more nationalists than socialists during the war, because as Mussolini pointed out; a nation under threat is united by lines of nationality; this is a parallel that was even true for Stalin's Russia
A would like to point out a few inaccuracies;
The Italian fascists most definitely did NOT see themselves as socialists. Mostly because they considered socialists deluded idiots for assuming class struggle is the greatest bringer of solidarity; they indeed, correctly, asserted that it was tribe, or in a more modern context, your nation, that brought people of all stripes together in times of strive.
Mussolini derided socialism because he considered fascism to be a rectification of socialisms flaws, however, because this rectification undermined a few of its most integral axioms, it could no longer be called socialism.
From this the central conflict between socialists and fascists also arise;
you know for certain that it isn't principle nor conduct that they despise of eachother, so what is it? Well, the socialist axiom makes them innately revolutionary (since many of our habits, world views, economic structures et al are shaped by the societal class structure. To end class, even if we all know the "pigs are more equal" paradigm that invariably arises once someone finds out about the monopoly of violence again, would completely upend anyones way of life), while the fascists are innately counter-revolutionary (Because they are so nationalists, they place great emphasis on national identity and the preservation of it, this means they have to put said world views and tradition in stasis, by legal means if necessary). The revolutionary cannot tolerate the counter-revolutionary, even if they agree on method and principle.
Nazi's are an interesting case; they were an attempt to reintregrate fascism with socialism, in order to unite the disparate factions of moderate nationalists and socialists into a single faction against the Bolshevik communists during Weimar. The Nazi's are neither left wing nor right wing, instead they are a stunted fusion of both. Somehow they were able of being both reactionary and revolutionary. It should be noted that Nazi Germany most definitively became a lot, a LOT more nationalists than socialists during the war, because as Mussolini pointed out; a nation under threat is united by lines of nationality; this is a parallel that was even true for Stalin's Russia