Dutch Fascist Union
Dutch Fascist Union Nederlandse Fascistische Unie | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NFU |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Registered | 26 February 1933 |
| Dissolved | c. 1933 |
| Newspaper | De Aanval |
| Youth wing | Fascist Youth Union |
| Paramilitary wing | Fascist Storm Troopers |
| Ideology | Fascism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Religion | Catholicism |
The Dutch Fascist Union,[a] officially the General Dutch Fascist Union,[b] was a fascist, pro-Catholic political party in the Netherlands. It was formed in 1932 and registered as a political party in 1933. It contested the 1933 parliamentary election, garnering only 0.19% of the popular vote and winning no seats. It faded from written records shortly afterwards. The NFU had a paramilitary wing, a youth wing, and a publication titled De Aanval (lit. 'The Attack').
History
[edit]During the interwar period, Dutch fascists were split into three groups: followers of Italian fascism (or classical fascism), fascists who supported the Catholic Church in particular, and secular fascists who identified with Nazism and antisemitism.[1] The Dutch Fascist Union (NFU) was founded in 1932 as an attempt to unite the Catholic fascists.[1][2] Many members had split from the larger General Dutch Fascist League. It was registered as a political party in the Netherlands on 26 February 1933.[3]
The NFU contested the 1933 parliamentary election, receiving 1,771 votes (0.05%) and no seats. In The Hague the party won 0.19% of the popular vote, in Amsterdam 0.03%, in Haarlem 0.09%, in Utrecht 0.18%, and in Zwolle 0.28%. The NFU disappeared from written records soon thereafter.[3]
Ideology
[edit]During the interwar period, some fascist parties in the Netherlands – such as the National Socialist Dutch Workers Party – were criticised by other fascist parties for their perceived moderateness and focus on corporatism. The criticised groups were labelled "right-wing fascists" as opposed to "far-right fascists" who closely followed Italian fascism or Nazism.[4] The NFU advocated its own loosely defined ideology called volks-fascisme (lit. 'people-fascism').[4]
Leadership
[edit]Leading figures of the party included Karel Eduard van Charante and Tony W. Hooykaas.[3]
Membership
[edit]The NFU membership reportedly never exceeded 1,000 followers.[5]
Non-party wings
[edit]The NFU had an armed wing – a militia known as the Fascist Storm Troopers whose members dressed in black uniforms. It also had a youth wing named the Fascist Youth Union.[6]
Publications
[edit]The NFU published De Aanval (lit. 'The Attack').[3]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Griffin, Roger (11 October 2013). The Nature of Fascism. Routledge. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-136-14588-9. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Blamires, Cyprian (18 September 2006). World Fascism: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-57607-941-6. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Dutch Fascist Union". Repertoire of small political parties 1918–1967. Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Payne, Stanley G. (1 January 1996). A History of Fascism, 1914–1945. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 302. ISBN 978-0-299-14873-7. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Littlejohn, David (1972). The Patriotic Traitors: A History of Collaboration in German-occupied Europe, 1940–45. Heinemann. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-434-42725-3. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Littlejohn, David (1979). Foreign Legions of the Third Reich. Ripol Classic. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-912138-22-0. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
