Nasjonal Samling

Nasjonal Samling
Name	Nasjonal Samling
Native name	Nasjonal Samling
Founded	1933
Dissolved	1945
Leader	Vidkun Quisling
Ideology	Fascism; Nazism; Nationalism
Country	Norway

Nasjonal Samling was a Norwegian political party founded in 1933 that promoted authoritarian, nationalist, and fascist policies. Led by Vidkun Quisling, the party sought to reshape Norway through corporatist and ethno-nationalist programs and later collaborated with German authorities during the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II. Its political activity, wartime role, and post-war prosecution made it one of the most controversial movements in modern Norwegian history.

History

Nasjonal Samling was established in 1933 by Vidkun Quisling and other figures from the Fatherland League (Norway), Nationalist movements in Europe, and circles influenced by Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. In the 1933–1936 period the party contested elections against entities such as the Conservative Party (Norway), Liberal Party (Norway), Labour Party (Norway), and the Farmers' Party (Norway), but failed to gain significant parliamentary representation. During the late 1930s Nasjonal Samling attempted alliances with cultural organizations like the Norwegian Authors' Union and sought legitimacy through contacts with international figures including members of the British Union of Fascists and sympathizers in Germany, while clashing with groups such as the Communist Party of Norway and the Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway.

Ideology and Policies

The party synthesized elements of Fascism, National Socialism, and conservative Christianity in Norway-tinged rhetoric. Its platform emphasized ethnic Norwegian identity, anti-Marxism, anti-liberalism, and corporatist economic proposals inspired by the Corporate State models of Italy under Mussolini and some aspects of Nazi Germany. Nasjonal Samling endorsed policies directed against minority groups and cultural pluralism, echoing ideas circulating in the Völkisch movement and among European racialist theorists. The movement promoted nationalist myths tied to figures like Harald Fairhair, Saint Olav, and invoked symbols similar to those used by contemporary European fascist movements.

Organization and Leadership

The party was dominated by its founder and leader Vidkun Quisling, who held a centralizing role reminiscent of leaders such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Its organizational structure included paramilitary and youth wings modeled on the Sturmabteilung and Hitler Youth, with local branches paralleling structures found in parties like the Swedish National Socialist Unity and the Danish Nazi Party. Prominent members included figures connected to the Norwegian police, civil administration, and intellectual circles that had ties to institutions such as the University of Oslo and cultural bodies like the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). The party maintained newspapers and publications in competition with outlets tied to the Aftenposten and Arbeiderbladet.

Role during World War II and Occupation

Following the Invasion of Norway by German forces in April 1940, Nasjonal Samling collaborated with the occupational authorities, and Quisling declared a government during the crisis that was later superseded by a German-backed administration under Reichskommissar Josef Terboven. The party occupied positions within the collaborationist regime, integrating with structures of the German Reich and coordinating with agencies such as the Gestapo and Waffen-SS on security matters. Nasjonal Samling implemented policies in line with occupation goals, affecting institutions like the Norwegian police and civil service, and participated in recruitment initiatives linked to the Volunteer Norwegian Legion and other units fighting alongside German forces on the Eastern Front against the Red Army. Resistance to the occupation by groups such as Milorg, the Norwegian resistance movement, and the Home Front opposed Nasjonal Samling's authority, leading to reprisals, arrests, and contested legitimacy.

Membership and Support Base

Membership drew from a mix of rural and urban supporters, including veterans of the First World War, conservative civil servants, and nationalist intellectuals. The party appealed to constituencies concerned with rural interests similar to those represented by the Bondepartiet and to segments of the bureaucracy who favored strong centralized leadership. Electoral performance remained marginal in the 1930s, with limited success compared to major parties like the Labour Party (Norway), Conservative Party (Norway), and Venstre (Norway), but numbers swelled during the occupation as collaboration with German authorities and access to administrative posts offered incentives. Opposition from institutions such as the Norwegian Church and cultural elites reduced broader acceptance.

Post-war Trials, Dissolution, and Legacy

After the liberation of Norway in May 1945, Nasjonal Samling was outlawed and its leaders faced legal accountability during the Legal purge in Norway after World War II. Vidkun Quisling was tried and convicted of high treason and executed, while other members of the party and collaborators were subjected to trials, imprisonment, and civil penalties enforced by courts influenced by laws enacted during the post-war process. The dissolution of Nasjonal Samling paralleled broader denazification efforts seen in occupied Europe, intersecting with national debates involving the Supreme Court of Norway, the Storting, and cultural institutions such as the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Contemporary discussions of Nasjonal Samling's legacy involve historians and institutions like the Norwegian Institute of Local History, museums such as the Norwegian Resistance Museum, and scholarly work comparing it to movements in Germany, Italy, Denmark, and Sweden. The party's memory continues to influence debates about collaboration, collective guilt, and memory politics in modern Norway.

Category:Political parties in Norway Category:Fascist parties