Genocide Prevention & Early Warning Signs of Fascism

Michael Borto

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies

Major: BA.LIBERALARTS

Faculty Research Mentor: Goldberg, Adara  

Abstract:

The study of genocide prevention and the early warning signs of fascism can identify patterns that contribute to mass violence, drawing on modern and twentieth-century history. Rather than focusing simply on post-genocide analysis, this study evaluates pre-genocidal actions. Drawing from foundational work, such as War & Genocide, this study argues that genocide is not a random act of large-scale violence, but a slow process rooted in socio-political and institutional transformations. Fascist regimes such as Nazi Germany often create favorable conditions for genocide through iron-fisted authoritarian consolidation, state propaganda, systemic discrimination, and the eventual erasure of legal protections. These conditions normalize dehumanization and scapegoating, which normalizes escalating violence. From researching genocide theory and early warning models, this study establishes a framework for understanding how fascism functions as a general precursor to genocidal outcomes.Using the Holocaust as a main case study, this research analyzes early warning signs present in pre-World War II Germany, including the nationwide institutionalization of antisemitism through race laws in 1933, rapid militarization of society, and total control of media and public discourse. Comparative references to other genocides further illustrate recurring warning signs across different historical contexts while highlighting variations in implementation and scale. This study connects these historical patterns to current genocide prevention efforts, examining how international organizations, academic institutions, and Holocaust resource centers utilize early warning frameworks today. This research demonstrates how recognizing early indicators of fascism and genocide can contribute to prevention, accountability, and the protection of vulnerable populations in the present day.