Yes, intense exclusion is widely considered a foundational element of the essence of fascism. While scholars emphasize different mechanisms of the ideology, mainstream political and historical consensus views exclusionary ultranationalism as a necessary requirement for a movement to be defined as truly fascist. [1, 2]

Rather than being an accidental byproduct of authoritarian rule, exclusion is built into the very core of how fascism operates. Leading historians and theorists illustrate how this manifests through different scholarly frameworks:

1. The Myth of Palingenetic Ultranationalism

Prominent political theorist Roger Griffin defined fascism's minimum conceptual core as palingenetic populist ultranationalism—the myth of a national rebirth rising phoenix-like from the ashes of decay. For a nation to achieve this organic, holistic rebirth, it must define exactly who belongs to the national body. Consequently, anyone deemed a threat to national unity—whether by race, ethnicity, religion, or political ideology—is aggressively marginalized, persecuted, or excised to protect the "purity" of the collective. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. The Obsession with Decline and Purity

In his seminal work The Anatomy of Fascism, historian Robert Paxton describes fascism as being marked by an "obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood". To counteract this perceived victimization, fascist movements rely on compensatory cults of absolute unity and purity. This necessitates an aggressive internal cleansing and external expansion, utilizing redemptive violence to eliminate internal "enemies" or scapegoats who are blamed for the country's struggles. [1, 2]

3. The Friend-Enemy Binary

Drawing from political philosophy, fascism operates heavily on a strict Us-versus-Them binary. It views the world not through liberal pluralism (where differing groups peacefully coexist), but through a lens where security and exclusion are deeply intertwined. Dehumanizing segments of the population as "the enemy" allows the regime to justify the total suppression of political dissent, the removal of individual rights, and state-sanctioned violence. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Comparative Summary: Why Fascism is Uniquely Exclusionary

Ideological Element	How it Drives Exclusion
Extreme Nationalism	Rejects multiculturalism and elevates one national or racial group above all individual rights.
Totalitarian Ambition	Aims for complete social and cultural uniformity, leaving no legitimate space for political opposition.
Militarism & Violence	Uses aggressive, paramilitary enforcement to silence minorities and political enemies.

While ordinary right-wing dictatorships or authoritarian regimes focus primarily on maintaining stability and passive obedience without fundamentally rewriting society, a fascist regime demands active, fanatical mobilization centered on national or racial supremacy—making systematic exclusion an unavoidable part of its political DNA. [1, 2, 3]