Autonome Nationalisten

Last updated

Autonome Nationalisten with an anti-capitalist banner, wearing clothing typical of left-wing black blocs Autonome Nationalisten-Schwarzer Block.jpg
Autonome Nationalisten with an anti-capitalist banner, wearing clothing typical of left-wing black blocs

Autonome Nationalisten (English: Autonomous Nationalists, abbreviated AN) are German, British, Dutch, [1] and to a lesser degree Flemish, [2] [3] nationalists, who have adopted some of the far-left and antifa's organizational concepts (autonomous activism), demonstration tactics (black bloc), symbolism, and elements of clothing, including Che Guevara T-shirts and keffiyehs. [4] [5] [6] Similar groups have also appeared in some central and eastern European countries, beginning with Poland (starting in 2009), [7] [8] the Czech Republic, [9] Ukraine, [10] Romania [11] and Greece and others.

Contents

History

Autonomous Nationalists adopted Black Bloc demonstration tactics from left-wing antifascist groups. Neonazis-schwarzer block.jpg
Autonomous Nationalists adopted Black Bloc demonstration tactics from left-wing antifascist groups.

The phenomenon of the Autonome Nationalisten can be traced to "Freie Nationaliste" (Free Nationalists), "Freie Kräfte" (Free Forces) and "Freie Kameradschaften" (Free Comradeships) movements, which developed in the shadow of the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD) (National Democratic Party of Germany) since the late-1980s. The police crackdown on the far-right after re-unification and the wave of banning in the early 1990s ("Deutsche Alternative", "Nationalistische Front", "Freiheitliche Deutsche Arbeiterpartei", among others) forced most of the local extreme far-right militant groups to split into "autonomous nationalist cells" of 5-20 members without a formal membership. Instead of conducting regular meetings, they started to use phones and later Internet for communication and organizing. [12] Local cells formed loose umbrella networks in the regions to coordinate actions. [13] In 2008, Germany's Autonomous Nationalists were estimated to number approximately 400 people, 1% of the country's neo-Nazis. [14] [15] The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which provides domestic intelligence for the government, estimated the number of active participants of the far right movement in 2008 around 40,000. [16] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), in 2001 there were 75 extreme-right organizations in Germany with 50,000 members. [17]

The emergence of the Autonome Nationalisten was controversial within the German far right milieu, both because some older activists of the German extreme right objected to their "leftist" image and because the NPD feared they would complicate its efforts to take part in mainstream politics. [18] Also controversial was that Autonome Nationalisten had occasionally expressed sympathy for Islamic extremism, as well as Hezbollah and Hamas for their opposition to Zionism and American imperialism. [1] The same controversies arose among the far right in Poland.

The Autonomous Nationalists in Europe made themselves visible starting from 2003–2004 and are now considered more violent than other members of the European far right. [5] [14] However, as of 2010, according to Miroslav Mareš, their impact in these countries has been limited so far. [18]

Message

Researchers view the syncretic political movement of the Autonomous Nationalists in Europe as a "strategic concept, organization and subculture – all three terms are possible for the designation of this phenomenon." [18] They emphasize that,

autonomous nationalism as a political tendency certainly punches above its weight. It has influenced and sparked debates within the German far right, as well as within fascist youth movements in other European countries. As such it opens up questions over the future of fascist organisation in Europe, at a time when network politics appears to exert stronger mobilising factors than traditional organisational structures. [19] :297

The Autonomous Nationalists were ideologically inspired by Strasserism. [18] The message of AN shifted to anti-globalist, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist ideas. It promotes complete organizational decentralization and autonomy inside the movement. [20]

The adoption of codes and symbols of the far left "Autonome Antifa" by the "Autonome Nationalisten" coincided with the persistence of vibrant alternative subcultures of the radical left and rejection of traditional skinhead cultural-political templates of behavior of the extreme right. [21] The AN thus see themselves as 'autonomous' from established neo-Nazi programs and structures, developing their own ideological discourse, street message, action repertoire, music scenes and fashion codes. [22] These are often meant to display anti-capitalist and anti-systemic rebellion and opposition to globalization and 'American cultural imperialism'. [19] The AN also raised some social and economic issues, including poverty. [23] At present time, they are firmly entrenched in the neo‐Nazi movement. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Democratic Party of Germany</span> Far-right political party in Germany

The Homeland, previously known as the National Democratic Party of Germany, is a far-right Neo-Nazi and ultranationalist political party in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strasserism</span> Economic antisemite strand of Nazism

Strasserism is a strand of Nazism, which adheres to revolutionary nationalism combined with anti-capitalism and economic antisemitism. It calls for a more radical, mass-action and worker-based movement in order to implement "anti-capitalist social revolution" along with "national revolution". Strasserism derived its name from Gregor and Otto Strasser, two brothers initially associated with this position. Originally leading a left-wing faction within NSDAP, Otto Strasser created Black Front after being expelled from Germany in 1930. Strasserism allegedly had a considerable support among SA, which led to Strasserists being purged by Adolf Hitler during the Night of the Long Knives, with Gregor Strasser being murdered. In 1980s, Strasserism again began to play an active role in politics after it found support among some leading members of the National Front party in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Myatt</span> British author, religious leader, Islamist and Neo-Nazi militant (born 1950)

David Wulstan Myatt, also known by the pseudonym Abdulaziz ibn Myatt al-Qari, is a British author, religious leader, far-right and former Islamist militant, most notable for allegedly being the political and religious leader of the White nationalist theistic Satanist organization Order of Nine Angles (ONA) from 1974 onwards. He is also the founder of Numinous Way and a former Muslim.

The Third Position is a set of neo-fascist political ideologies that were first described in Western Europe following the Second World War. Developed in the context of the Cold War, it developed its name through the claim that it represented a third position between the capitalism of the Western Bloc and the communism of the Eastern Bloc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bases Autónomas</span> Political party in Spain

Bases Autónomas was a Spanish neo-Nazi group, later moving to France, and known for its youthful membership and its violent rhetoric and propaganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolf von Thadden</span> German politician (1921–1996)

Adolf von Thadden was a German far-right politician. Born into a leading Pomeranian landowning family, he was the half-brother of Elisabeth von Thadden, a prominent critic of the Nazis who was executed by the Nazi government in September 1944.

The far right in Switzerland was established in the course of the rise of fascism in Europe in the interwar period. It was a mostly marginal phenomenon in the Cold War period, excepting a surge of radical right-wing populism during the early 1970s, and it has again experienced growth alongside the right-wing Swiss People's Party since the 1990s.

The far-right in Germany slowly reorganised itself after the fall of Nazi Germany and the dissolution of the Nazi Party in 1945. Denazification was carried out in Germany from 1945 to 1949 by the Allied forces of World War II, with an attempt of eliminating Nazism from the country. However, various far-right parties emerged in the post-war period, with varying success. Most parties only lasted a few years before either dissolving or being banned, and explicitly far-right parties have never gained seats in the Bundestag post-WWII.

Anton Maegerle is the Pseudonym of a German journalist. He is also the author of books about far-right politics, right-wing radicalism, the New Right, and right-wing policy in general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pro Germany Citizens' Movement</span> Political party in Germany

The Pro Germany Citizens' Movement was a far-right political party in Germany. It was founded in Cologne on 20 January 2005 after Pro Cologne members had been elected to the Cologne City Council. Manfred Rouhs, treasurer of the Pro Cologne movement and former candidate of the German League for People and Homeland and the National Democratic Party of Germany, was elected its first chairman. The federal party convent decided at its ninth ordinary meeting in Wuppertal on 11 November 2017 to dissolve the party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Identitarian movement</span> European far-right political movement

The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a pan-European, ethno-nationalist, far-right political ideology asserting the right of European ethnic groups and white peoples to Western culture and territories claimed to belong exclusively to them. Originating in France as Les Identitaires, with its youth wing Generation Identity, the movement expanded to other European countries during the early 21st century. Its ideology was formulated from the 1960s onward by essayists such as Alain de Benoist, Dominique Venner, Guillaume Faye and Renaud Camus, who are considered the main ideological sources of the movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-fascism</span> Opposition to fascism

Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were opposed by many countries forming the Allies of World War II and dozens of resistance movements worldwide. Anti-fascism has been an element of movements across the political spectrum and holding many different political positions such as anarchism, communism, pacifism, republicanism, social democracy, socialism and syndicalism as well as centrist, conservative, liberal and nationalist viewpoints.

Nipster is a slang term used in Germany and the U.K. to refer to young neo-Nazis who have embraced aspects of hipster culture. Historically, German neo-Nazis promoted an ultra-masculine and extreme right-wing image, preferring short hair, violent imagery and combat gear—in keeping with the white power skinhead or casual subcultures—while rejecting most modern pop culture. This has changed, with young "nipsters" embracing causes such as animal rights and environmentalism alongside historically far right positions, including anti-immigration views. Nipsters, rather than rejecting modern pop culture, seek instead to appropriate it to promote neo-Nazi ideals. This has also been seen in the New Right and National Anarchism movements.

Werner Bergmann is a German sociologist. He is Professor of Sociology at the Center for Research on Antisemitism at the Technical University of Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Götz Kubitschek</span> German journalist

Götz Kubitschek is a German publisher, journalist and far-right political activist. He espouses ethnocentric positions and is one of the most important protagonists of the Neue Rechte in Germany. Hailing from the staff of right-wing newspaper Junge Freiheit, Kubitschek is one of the founders of the Neue Rechte think tank Institut für Staatspolitik. Since 2002, he is the manager of his self-founded publishing house Antaios, since 2003 chief editor of the journal Sezession, as well as editor of the corresponding blog Sezession im Netz.

Far-right subcultures refers to the symbolism, ideology and traits that hold relevance to various politically extreme right-wing groups and organisations. There are three kinds of subcultures within far-right movements to distinguish: subcultural parasitism, subcultural creation around ideology and subcultures that are networking with far-right movements, as some football hooligans did with neo-nazis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post–World War II anti-fascism</span> History of movements and networks opposing fascism after WWII

Post–World War II anti-fascism, including antifa groups, anti-fascist movements and anti-fascist action networks, saw the development of political movements describing themselves as anti-fascist and in opposition to fascism. Those movements have been active in several countries in the aftermath of World War II during the second half of the 20th and early 21st century.

Antifa is a political movement in Germany composed of multiple far-left, autonomous, militant groups and individuals who describe themselves as anti-fascist. According to the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the use of the epithet fascist against opponents and the view of capitalism as a form of fascism are central to the movement. The antifa movement has existed in different eras and incarnations, dating back to Antifaschistische Aktion, from which the moniker antifa came. It was set up by the then-Stalinist Communist Party of Germany (KPD) during the late history of the Weimar Republic. After the forced dissolution in the wake of Machtergreifung in 1933, the movement went underground. In the postwar era, Antifaschistische Aktion inspired a variety of different movements, groups and individuals in Germany as well as other countries which widely adopted variants of its aesthetics and some of its tactics. Known as the wider antifa movement, the contemporary antifa groups have no direct organisational connection to Antifaschistische Aktion.

<i>Querfront</i> German political term

Querfront is a German term originating in Weimar politics and referring to the cooperation between the far-right and far-left, or nationalist and socialist ideologies, as well as the combination of their positions. It is primarily understood as a strategy to unite forces in an effort to gain power. The term was first, and most prominently, used in the Weimar Republic, where it referred to the cooperation between conservative revolutionaries and the far-left.

References

  1. 1 2 Autonome neo-nazi’s op de linkse toer?, Gebladerte Archief (Dutch)
  2. Autonomous Nationalist United Kingdom Archived July 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. 全国各地求人情報ブログ Archived 2010-12-31 at the Wayback Machine (Belgian Dutch)
  4. Sunshine, Spencer (Winter 2008). "Rebranding Fascism: National-Anarchists". The Public Eye . 23 (4): 14. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
  5. 1 2 Glet, Alke (November 2009). "The German Hate Crime Concept: An Account of the Classification and Registration of Bias-Motivated Offences and the Implementation of the Hate Crime Model Into Germany's Law Enforcement System" (PDF). The Internet Journal of Criminology: 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  6. Sundermeyer, Olaf (27 April 2009). "Autonome Nationalisten: Rechte Schläger im Kapuzenpulli". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  7. "Nowy styl narodowej rewolty". 18 June 2009.
  8. "O nas".
  9. Mareš, Miroslav. National and Right-wing Radicalism in the New Democracies: Czech Republic. Paper for the workshop of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on “Right-wing extremism and its impact on young democracies in the CEE countries”, September, 2012.
  10. See: Автономні націоналісти України (Autonomous Nationalists of Ukraine) (in Ukrainian)
  11. Romania: Extremists offer Roma women payoffs for sterilization Archived 2016-03-24 at the Wayback Machine , Budapest Telegraph, May 17, 2014.
  12. Jan Schedler. ‚Modernisierte Antimoderne‘: Entwicklung des organisierten Neonazismus 1990-2010. Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine In: J. Schedler, A. Häusler (Hrsg.). Autonome Nationalisten Neonazismus in Bewegung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2011, p. 17-35.
  13. Robert Grimm (Manchester Metropolitan University). The geographic distribution of the extreme right in Germany, September 25, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Nicola, Stefan (20 May 2008). "Germany's new neo-Nazis". UPI . Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  15. Berg, Stefan; Markus Deggerich; Sven Röbel (3 June 2008). "Extremist Violence the Norm in Parts of the Country". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  16. Rachel Nolan. Neo-Nazi Fashion: Thor Steinar and the Changing Look of the German Far Right, Spiegel Online International, November 20, 2008.
  17. Extremism Across Europe, Southern Poverty Law Center. Accessed on 17 May 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Mareš, Miroslav (25 March 2010). "Transnational Activism of Extreme Right Youth in East Central Europe". Paper (First Draft) for the International Conference "Far Right Networks in Northern and Eastern Europe", Uppsala University, March 2010: 5–6.
  19. 1 2 Schlembach, Raphael. The ‘Autonomous Nationalists’: new developments and contradictions in the German neo-Nazi movement, Interface: A journal for and about social movements, Volume 5 (2): 295 - 318, (November 2013).
  20. Sommer, Bernd. Anti-capitalism in the name of ethno-nationalism: ideological shifts on the German extreme right, Patterns of Prejudice, V. 42, No. 3 (2008): 305-316.
  21. Von Rainer Brahms. Mehr als eine Randerscheinung: Moderner Style, alte Inhalte Archived 2013-06-26 at the Wayback Machine , Lotta, No. 31, Summer 2008.
  22. Schedler, Jan. The Devil in Disguise: Action Repertoire, Visual Performance and Collective Identity of the Autonomous Nationalists, Nations and Nationalism, V. 20, No. 2: 239-258, (2014).
  23. "Autonomous Nationalists". Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  24. Schedler, Jan und Alexander Häusler (Hrsg.). Autonome Nationalisten Neonazismus in Bewegung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2011.

Further reading