National Socialist Workers Party (Sweden)
Encyclopedia
Nationalsocialistiska Arbetarpartiet was a Swedish
political party
which initially espoused Nazism
before adopting a more indigenous form of Fascism
.
The party was formed in 1933 by Sven Olof Lindholm after he split from the Swedish National Socialist Party, following a series of clashes over policy and personality. The party initially acted as a simple mirror of the National Socialist German Workers Party
, with the party newspaper Den Svenske Nationalsocialisten repeating what was being said in Nazi Germany
and the Nordisk Ungdom (Nordic Youth) group serving as a replica of the Hitler Youth
(albeit on a smaller scale). The swastika
was also initially used as the party emblem.
The NSAP did differ from the German model from the beginning however, as they placed strong emphasis on the anti-capitalist
nature of their rhetoric. The party's emphasis on the socialism
of their Nazism led many to label them Strasserite, although they avoided the direct criticism of Adolf Hitler
that was forming the bulk of the writings of Otto Strasser
by the mid-1930s.
The party continued to move away from the Hitler model and largely abandoned their ties to Germany in favour of a more Swedish model. In 1938 they stopped using the swastika and replaced it with Vasakärven (the Vasa sheaf), an old Swedish emblem used by King Gustav II Adolf
. By the end of the year the party had changed its name to Svensk Socialistisk Samling (Swedish Socialist Unity) and had largely dropped all but passing reference to the Nazis. Nonetheless the party declined dramatically during the Second World War and was formally dissolved in 1945.
During the war it's most notable member was later IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad
.
The party was one of the earliest Holocaust deniers
, an activity that the organization started in May 1945 in Den Svenske Nationalsocialisten.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
which initially espoused Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
before adopting a more indigenous form of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
.
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
, with the party newspaper Den Svenske Nationalsocialisten repeating what was being said in 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...
and the Nordisk Ungdom (Nordic Youth) group serving as a replica of the Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
(albeit on a smaller scale). The swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
was also initially used as the party emblem.
The NSAP did differ from the German model from the beginning however, as they placed strong emphasis on the anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
nature of their rhetoric. The party's emphasis on the socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
of their Nazism led many to label them Strasserite, although they avoided the direct criticism of Adolf 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...
that was forming the bulk of the writings of Otto Strasser
Otto Strasser
Otto Johann Maximilian Strasser was a German politician and 'left-wing' member of the National Socialist German Workers Party. Strasser was part of the ‘left-wing’ faction of the party, along with his brother Gregor Strasser, and broke from the party due to disputes with the ‘Hitlerite’ faction...
by the mid-1930s.
The party continued to move away from the Hitler model and largely abandoned their ties to Germany in favour of a more Swedish model. In 1938 they stopped using the swastika and replaced it with Vasakärven (the Vasa sheaf), an old Swedish emblem used by King Gustav II Adolf
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
. By the end of the year the party had changed its name to Svensk Socialistisk Samling (Swedish Socialist Unity) and had largely dropped all but passing reference to the Nazis. Nonetheless the party declined dramatically during the Second World War and was formally dissolved in 1945.
During the war it's most notable member was later IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Kamprad
Ingvar Feodor Kamprad is a Swedish and the founder of IKEA, a retail company.According to Forbes magazine, as of 2011 he is the 162nd wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of around US$6 billion in 2011...
.
The party was one of the earliest Holocaust deniers
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
, an activity that the organization started in May 1945 in Den Svenske Nationalsocialisten.