Lecture 10: Right-wing extremism
in Scandinavia
1. Introduction
- Why study Scandinavian fascist movements?
- What is fascism?
- How far do Nordic societies favour growth of fascism ?
2. Individual countries
Finland:
- Legacy of Finnish nationalism and
civil war
- Precursors/competitors: Kokoomus
(Coalition) Party (Conservative); Suojeluskunta (SK) -
Defence Corps or Civic Guard; Academic Karelia Society
(AKS); Vientirauha (Industrial Peace)- strike-breaking
organisation
- Impact of depression 1928
- Lapua Movement
Dec. 1929; Suomen Lukko (Finland's Lock) Mar. 1930; Mäntsälä
uprising Feb./Mar. 1932; IKL (Patriotic Popular Movement)
June 1932.
- Reasons for failure.
- Names: Gen. Walden; Gen. Wallenius;
Gen. Mannerheim; President Relander; ex-President Ståhlberg;
P.E. Svinhufvud; Vihtori Kosola; J.K. Paasikivi.
Norway:
- Social/political conditions offer
some scope for extreme right
- Precursors: Samfundshjelp
(Social Aid)1920 - anti-strike organisation; Fedrelandslaget
(Fatherland League) 1925; Bygdefolkets Krisehjelp (Farmers'
Relief Association) 1931; Quisling's Nordisk Folkereisning
(Nordic People's Awakening) 1931.
- May 1933: Quisling founds Nasjonal
Samling (National Unity).
- Limited electoral success; party
splits; decline into obscurity.
- Revival with German invasion of
Norway, April 1940
- Quisling minister-president 1942-5;
executed 1945
- Nature of support: age, gender,
social background; regional contrasts
- Reasons for failure
- Names: Michelsen, Nansen, Hjort,
Rosenberg, Raeder, Hitler, Terboven
Denmark:
- Competitors: Konservativ Ungdom
(KU) (Conservative Youth Movement); Landbrugernes Sammenslutning
(LS) (Farmers' Organisation)
- DNSAP
founded 1930: direct imitation of German National Socialism
- Nature of support: rural/urban;
class; region (strongest in South Jutland)
- Reasons for failure
- Impact of German occupation
- Names: Fritz Clausen
Sweden:
- Numerically insignificant; divided.
- Competitors: Swedish National Youth
League (SNU) (Conservative Youth Movement; later broke away)
- More important than limited numbers
suggest: strength of conservative tradition; resonance in wider
social groups: e.g. anti-Semitism, anti-immigration
- Reasons for failure
- Names: Furugård, Lindholm
3. The appeal of fascism and its
limits
Some basis of support in all four countries,
but:
- Lacked social, economic and political
prerequisites - frustrated nationalism; modernisation crisis etc.
- Unable to establish firm base in
countryside
- Unable to do deals with established
elites (Finland partial exception)
- Poor leadership/organisation
- Identified with external threat
(Denmark)
- Increasingly identified with Nazi
extremism and terror
- Effective response from governments
and other political parties