Political Soldier

Political Soldieris apoliticalconcept associated with theThird Position.It played a leading role in Britain'sNational Frontfrom the late 1970s onwards under young radicalsNick Griffin,Patrick HarringtonandDerek Hollandof theOfficial National Front.The term was used to indicate an almost fanatical devotion to the cause ofnationalism,which its supporters felt was needed to bring about a revolutionary change in society.

A faction within the National Front called for the building of a freshethoswithinsocietyand for the emergence of anew man,to be known as the Political Soldier, who would rejectmaterialismand devote himself to the nationalist struggle withreligious zeal.Basing their ideas on those ofJulius Evola,an Italian philosopher who sought the creation of a neweliteto combat thedecadenceof modernbourgeoissociety, Political Soldiers rejected traditionalBritish nationalismin favour of a European outlook and aracialistequality ofseparate races.

History

The idea of the Political Soldier, someone who devotes all his time and energy to the nationalist struggle, was one that had long existed on thefar rightinEurope.Jean-François Thiriartwas amongst those to argue for this need for complete devotion fromactivistsand had set up camps to train Political Soldiers in the 1960s.

Holland publishedThe Political Soldier - A Statementin 1984.The pamphlet called on supporters to become consumed by theirnationalismand to make it the driving force behind everything in their lives. The book offered four historical examples of a Political Soldier, i.e., theSpartans,the RomanCenturion,theCrusadersand theIron GuardofCorneliu Zelea Codreanu,a Romanian movement of fascism and religion. The book also made theCeltic Crossthe emblem of the Political Soldiers.

The concept of the Political Soldier caused divisions within the British far right as many of its ideas were new and alien concepts. The Official National Front was eventually removed from the NF and the calls for a 'new man' were continued by theInternational Third Position.Within the UK, the magazineFinal Conflictis still devoted to this idea. Holland's book has been translated into a number of European languages (notably intoPolishfor theNational Revival of Poland) whilst the term is still used by theNational Democratic Party of Germanyto describe its followers.

Bibliography

• L. Cheles, R. Ferguson, and M. Vaughan,Neo-Fascism in Europe,London: Longman, 1992
• N. Copsey,Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy,Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
• D. Holland,The Political Soldier - A Statement,1984
• M. A. Lee,The Beast Reawakens,London: Warner Books, 1997

External links

• Final Conflict
• Steve Silver,"A century of British fascism",Searchlight