Founded 1962 | ||
Ideology National SocialismRight-wing populismAntisemitismAnti-globalismAnti-communism Anti-Zionism, Anti-immigration, Neo-Fascism | ||
The World Union of National Socialists (WUNS) is an organisation founded in 1962 as an umbrella group for neo-Nazi organisations across the globe.
Contents
Formation
The movement came about when the leader of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, visited England and met with National Socialist Movement chief Colin Jordan and the two agreed to work towards developing an international link-up between movements. This resulted in the 1962 Cotswold Declaration which was signed by neo-Nazis from the United States, United Kingdom, France (Savitri Devi), West Germany (Bruno Ludtke), Austria and Belgium. More member nations would join later throughout the decade including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Ireland, South Africa, and Japan.
Splits
Following Rockwell's assassination in 1967, control of the WUNS passed to Matt Koehl, who attempted to extend the influence of the group by appointing Danish neo-Nazi Povl Riis-Knudsen as general secretary. However a split began to develop over the insistence of Koehl that Nazism should also serve as a religion, and eventually he broke away from the WUNS to lead his own version of Nazi mysticism. The split fundamentally weakened the WUNS and its influence declined strongly, despite attempts by Jordan to reinvigorate it. Jordan remained the nominal leader of the organization until his death in 2009, when he was succeeded by Koehl, who was the titular leader until his own death in 2014.
Associated groups
A number of groups have become members of the WUNS or accepted association to the group down the years.
Americas
Given the leadership of Rockwell and Koehl, the American Nazi Party and its successor the National Socialist White People's Party were the main constituent groups of the WUNS.
In Canada the group was represented by the Canadian Nazi Party, whose leader William John Beattie was chief of the WUNS in the country.
It was also active in South America through the Partido Nacionalsocialista Chileno, a group set up in Chile by former 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Standartenführer Franz Pfeiffer and the Frente Nacional Socialista Argentino of Argentina was an affiliate group.
Europe
The National Socialist Movement and its successor British Movement were members.
WUNS was represented in Denmark by the National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark, a rump group of the old pre-war movement affiliated under Sven Salicath, a close follower of Rockwell, and by its replacement, the National Socialist Movement of Denmark.
The Nordic Reich Party of Sweden maintained independence but co-operated closely with WUNS.
Bernhard Haarde formed a WUNS group in Iceland, claiming around 300 supporters. Bernhard was the brother of future Prime Minister, Geir Haarde.
A minor party in the Republic of Ireland, the National Socialist Irish Workers Party, was affiliated.
Oceania
The National Socialist Party of New Zealand and the National Socialist Party of Australia were affiliated to the WUNS.
Current membership
The group claims the affiliation of a number of minor movements, many of which appear to exist only on the internet. Those claimed by the WUNS are: