> The swastika was already quite firmly linked with fascism in Europe by the late 1920s.

It wasn't. If anything, it was linked to preservation of tradition and conservatism. I know from my grandparents, who are Polish Highlanders, that it also doubles for holy cross, and thus was used in sacral contexts or on tombstones:

https://slowianowierstwo.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/1095605... https://slowianowierstwo.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/76313_3... https://slowianowierstwo.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/1274539...

European fascism builds on pride and glorification of national symbols, and reuse of those. For example here's Polish Fascists symbol that dates to '30s:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_flag_with_symb...

This is arm holding sword, and symbol was created as replacement for original symbol that was legendary sword that first polish king used to strike the gates of Kiev as he was establishing borders of first Polish Kingdom.

Likewise symbol of Italian fascists was the Fasces (notice ), roman symbol for power and rule of their government.

Spanish fascists used crests of their past royal family, the Falanga:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bandera_FE_JONS.svg

Here's Croatian fascists symbol:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Usta%C5%A1e_symbol.svg

Swastika was something that Germans adapted for their fascist movement, and it spread from there after the war, but saying that before war the swastika was already firmly linked with fascism is not true.

The Nazi party adopted the hakenkreuz (swastika) in 1920. So yes, swastikas were associated with fascism long before WW2.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Nazism

Thank you for understanding my point, which wasn't that the swastika was a longtime fascist symbol, but rather that the Nazi Party had accomplished its transformation into one by the late 1920s.