High Ranking Fascist Collaborators: Politicians
Britain's Fascist Leader and Hitler Supporter: Oswald Mosley
15m
Born into the British aristocracy and once regarded as one of the most promising politicians of his generation, Oswald Mosley seemed destined for high office. A decorated veteran of the First World War, a member of Parliament, and a rising figure in both the Conservative and Labour parties, he built a reputation as a charismatic and ambitious reformer.
After the economic and political turmoil of the 1930s, however, Mosley embraced fascism and founded the British Union of Fascists. Inspired by Benito Mussolini and increasingly sympathetic to Adolf Hitler, he organized mass rallies, blackshirt marches, and campaigns that promoted nationalism, authoritarianism, and anti-Semitism. His movement reached its peak before suffering a dramatic decline following public violence, growing opposition, and the infamous Battle of Cable Street.
During the Second World War, Mosley campaigned for a negotiated peace with Nazi Germany and was eventually interned by the British government. After the war, he attempted to revive his political career but remained a marginal figure, remembered primarily as the man who tried to establish a fascist movement in Britain.
This is the story of Oswald Mosley, the founder of British fascism and one of the most controversial figures in modern British history.
Up Next in Season 1
-
Norway's Nazi Justice Minister Who Cl...
When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, collaborationist leader Vidkun Quisling became the public face of the occupation. Yet behind the scenes, another man wielded enormous power. Sverre Riisnæs transformed Norway's legal system into a tool of Nazi rule, helped facilitate the deportation...
-
Acting Leader of Belgium's Nazi Rexis...
Victor Matthys rose from a quiet Catholic student to the acting leader of Belgium's Rexist movement during the German occupation. While Léon Degrelle fought on the Eastern Front, Matthys transformed Rex into one of Nazi Germany's most loyal collaborationist organizations, promoting fascist propag...
-
Dutch Nazi Banker Who Financed Hitler...
When Nazi Germany occupied the Netherlands in 1940, not all Dutch citizens resisted. Among the most fanatical collaborators was Meinoud Rost van Tonningen, a leading member of the Dutch National Socialist Movement (NSB) who became one of Adolf Hitler's most loyal supporters outside Germany.
This...