What was the time and context of the following quote by Bertrand
Russell?  ?The first step in a fascist movement is the combination
under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the
average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is
to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement
on the one hand and terrorism on the other.?

The quote comes from Russell's book "Freedom," which was published in
1940, so I think it can be assumed that he was referring to fascism as
practiced in Germany and Italy at that time by the "energetic leaders"
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

"The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an
energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average
share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to
fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on
the one hand and terrorism on the other. (Bertrand Russell: Freedom,
Harcourt Brace, 1940)"

http://newsjunkiecanada.blogspot.com/2003_04_27_newsjunkiecanada_archive.html

I've done a bit more digging. It appears that the precise source of
the quote is an essay by Russell called "Freedom and Government,"
which appeared in a collection edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen, "Freedom,
Its Meaning." In addition to Russell's essay, the book contained
essays by Benedetto Croce, Thomas Mann, Alfred N. Whitehead, and
others.

Given the year of publication (1940), I cannot imagine that the
mention of an energetic leader creating excitement and terrorism
refers to anyone other than Hitler and/or Mussolini.