National Union (Switzerland)
National Union Union Nationale | |
|---|---|
| Leader | William Droin (1932–1933), Roger Steinmetz (1933–1935),Georges Oltramare(1935–1939) |
| Governing body | Direction Counsel |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Dissolved | 1945 |
| Merger of | Ordre politique nationale Union de défense économique |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Newspaper | Le Citoyen,L'Action nationale,Bulletin de l'Union nationale |
| Membership(1937) | c. 2,000[1] |
| Ideology | Fascism[2] Corporatism Nationalism Anti-communism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Slogan | Une doctrine, une foi, un chef |
| Anthem | Debout l'U.N. |
| Election symbol | |
| A sword and a cross | |
TheNational Union(French:Union nationale) was a nationalistpolitical partyinSwitzerland[3]between 1932 and 1945, that became fascist at some point. It was mainly active in thecanton of Geneva.[2]
History
[edit]The National Union was founded inGenevain 1932 by the merging of two parties, theOrdre politique national,founded in 1930 by the writer and journalistGeorges Oltramare,and theUnion de défense économique,founded in 1923 by a split from the right wing of the Democratic Party (which became theLiberal Party). Oltramare spent four years as a member of theFederal Assembly of Switzerlandrepresenting the National Union.[4]It became notorious for a demonstration in Geneva on November 9, 1932, when their march to the city's Salle Communale was counterdemonstrated by theSwiss Socialist Partyand other members of the left. In the ensuing trouble, recruits of theSwiss armyopened fire on the left demonstratorsresulting in 13 deaths.[5]
The National Union was the Swiss political movement most closely associated withItalian fascism.[1]It demanded the reduction of public spending and taxes, and opposed any new naturalization andsocial welfarefor non-Genevans (welfare chauvinism).[2]It gained nine seats in theGrand Council of Genevain the 1933 cantonal election, ten seats in the 1936 one and twelve seats in the 1942 one.[1]It also gained eight seats in 1935 in the Municipal Council of the City of Geneva and kepts two of them during the municipal elections of 1939.
The group began to decline by the late 1930s.[2]In 1939, Oltramare left the party's leadership and was then excluded in 1940. After that he moved to Italy and then toGerman-occupiedParisin order to co-operate more closely with theNazis.[6]The party dissolved at the end of the war in 1945.[2]
References
[edit]- ^abcFascisminGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^abcdeNational UnioninGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^"'L'Union nationale (1932–1939): Un fascisme en Suisse Romande'".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-02-15.Retrieved2015-02-15.
- ^Christoph Blocher,'Switzerland and the Second World War - A Clarification'Archived2011-07-06 at theWayback Machine
- ^'1932 - The Geneva Massacre'
- ^Alan Morris Schom,'A Survey of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Switzerland: 1930-1945'Archived2012-05-10 at theWayback Machine
