Sneha Girap (Editor)

Victor Matthys

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Full Name
  
Victor Matthys

Successor
  
Louis Collard

Predecessor
  
Leon Degrelle

Ethnicity
  
Walloon

Died
  
November 10, 1947

Nationality
  
Belgian

Role
  
Belgian Politician

Cause of death
  
Executed

Name
  
Victor Matthys


Born
  
20 March 1914 (
1914-03-20
)

Known for
  
Politician, propagandist

Title
  
Acting leader of the Rexist Party

Victor Matthys (20 March 1914 – 10 November 1947) was a Belgian politician who served as both deputy and acting leader of Rexism. He was later executed for collaboration with Nazi Germany.

An early member of the Rexist movement, Matthys took over the editorship of the party newspaper, Le Pays Réel, in 1936 and in May 1941 was promoted to director of propaganda. He became official leader of Rex that same July after Léon Degrelle left to serve in the Waffen SS. He was nominated for the position as he was a weak character who posed no real threat to Degrelle's position as leader. Matthys was also popular with the Germans as he had a long standing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

As Rexist leader Matthys proved as weak and ineffective as Degrelle had hoped, although he also demonstrated a propensity towards violence to mask his failings. His position eventually came under scrutiny after he ordered the massacre of 20 people in Courcelles as a reprisal against resistance activity. The move was roundly condemned as being too heavy-handed and Matthys gave up the leadership of the Rexists in favour of Louis Collard. He was sentenced to death for collaborationism and executed.

References

Victor Matthys Wikipedia


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