Proto-fascism refers to the direct predecessor ideologies and cultural movements that influenced and formed the basis of fascism.
[1][2] A prominent proto-fascist figure is Gabriele D'Annunzio, the Italian nationalist whose politics influenced Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism.
[1] Proto-fascist political movements include the Italian Nationalist Association (Associazione Nazionalista Italiana, ANI), the German National Association of Commercial Employees (Deutschnationaler Handlungsgehilfen-Verband, DHV) the German National People's Party (Deutschnationale Volkspartei, DNVP) from 1931 on[2] and the Union of the Russian People (Russian: Союз русского народа, romanized: Soyuz russkogo naroda; СРН/SRN).
[3] Other people who have been labeled proto-fascist because they shared an ideological basis with fascism include: