Ernst Leonhardt
Encyclopedia
Ernst Leonhardt was an American
-born Swiss
military figure and pro-Nazi Germany
politician.
-born Swiss father, Leonhardt returned to Switzerland at an early age to attend school at Basel
, before joining the Swiss Army, where he rose to the rank of major.
Leonhardt became involved in politics in 1932 when he joined the National Front
, and before long he had risen to the rank of Gauführer (equivalent to Gauleiter
) in both Basel-City
and the Canton of Solothurn
. However he clashed with his superiors and in 1933 he left the Front and set up his own Volksbund with fellow dissident Emil Sonderegger
. The group was dominated by the forceful personality of Leonhardt, a strong factor in its failure to attract much of a following. He also founded the Schweizerische Gesellschaft der Freunde einer Autoritären Demokratie (SGAD) in 1938 (a group officially banned in 1940, although in existence until 1941), whilst he was also a member of Franz Burri
's Nationalsozialistischer Schweizerbund and Nationalsozialistische Bewegung in der Schweiz.
Although Leonhardt continued to be involved in Swiss pro-Nazi movements, he had in fact relocated to Germany in 1939 and continued his activism from there. He worked closely with Burri to distribute Nazi propaganda into Switzerland, whilst also recruiting volunteers for the SS and arguing for an Anschluss
-style takeover of Switzerland by Hitler
. His Swiss citizenship was removed in 1943 due to this idea, although he remained in Germany for the rest of his life, continuing to produce propaganda. He was killed in an air raid in March 1945.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
military figure and pro-Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
politician.
Biography
Born in the United States to a GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born Swiss father, Leonhardt returned to Switzerland at an early age to attend school at Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, before joining the Swiss Army, where he rose to the rank of major.
Leonhardt became involved in politics in 1932 when he joined the National Front
National Front (Switzerland)
The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of...
, and before long he had risen to the rank of Gauführer (equivalent to Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
) in both Basel-City
Basel-City
Basel-Stadt is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The city of Basel and the municipalities of Bettingen and Riehen form its territory.-History:...
and the Canton of Solothurn
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
. However he clashed with his superiors and in 1933 he left the Front and set up his own Volksbund with fellow dissident Emil Sonderegger
Emil Sonderegger
Emil Sonderegger was a Swiss military officer who later became involved in the country's far right political scene....
. The group was dominated by the forceful personality of Leonhardt, a strong factor in its failure to attract much of a following. He also founded the Schweizerische Gesellschaft der Freunde einer Autoritären Demokratie (SGAD) in 1938 (a group officially banned in 1940, although in existence until 1941), whilst he was also a member of Franz Burri
Franz Burri
Franz Burri was a Swiss political figure who, from his base in Germany, became the leading disseminater of Nazi propaganda in the country....
's Nationalsozialistischer Schweizerbund and Nationalsozialistische Bewegung in der Schweiz.
Although Leonhardt continued to be involved in Swiss pro-Nazi movements, he had in fact relocated to Germany in 1939 and continued his activism from there. He worked closely with Burri to distribute Nazi propaganda into Switzerland, whilst also recruiting volunteers for the SS and arguing for an Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
-style takeover of Switzerland by Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. His Swiss citizenship was removed in 1943 due to this idea, although he remained in Germany for the rest of his life, continuing to produce propaganda. He was killed in an air raid in March 1945.