The Holocaust in the Netherlands: Dutch NAZIs


Figure 1.--The poster here reads: Wordt WA-man. Koopt en leest "De Zwarte Soldaat" or : Become a WA - man. Buy and read "The Black Soldier". WA means Weerafdeling, the military organisation of the Dutch Nazi Party NSB. The WA-men served as a para-military force in the occupation. They played a major role in rounding up and transporting Jews to the NAZI death camps in Poland.

The principal Dutch right-wing nationalist pary was the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging--NSB (Nationalist Scocialist Movement). Like the several smaller groups, the NSB which was founded in 1931 by civil engineer Anton Adriaan Mussert, was inspired by the NAZI example across the border in Germany. Unlike the other groups, however, the NSB did not advocate union with Germany and did not adopt the swastika. These policies probably explain the NSB's broader appeal. The Party stressed Dutch patriotism and won a few parliamentary seats in 1935, but achieved weak results in the 1939 elections. Many saw the Party's fortunes waning. The NSB Nationale Jeugdstorm--NJ (Youth Branch) was created in 1934 by Cornelis van Geelkeerken was to remain its Hoofdstormer (National Leader) througout its existence. Until the German invasion, it was a very small group with no more than 1,200 members. Mussert's NSB was seen as the most important proponent of collaboration. His authority was briefly challenged because of a nationalist movement which apparently appeared spontaneously, the Nederlandse Unie-NU (the Netherlands Union). It was created in 1940 and urged the Dutch to adopt a "loyal" attitude toward the occupying Germans. It favored authoritarian government and patriotism, but on the orders of the Germans did not address the issue of the royal family. Interest in the NU was metioric in the early months of the occupation when many thought that the Germans would win. The NU soon had many more members than the NSB. But it soon faltered. The Dutch saw it as a patriotic (but non-collaborationist, anti-NSB movement) the Germans as a collaborantist moveement. When neither proved to be the case, the Dutch deserted it and the Germans supressed it. The flash point was the NU's refusal to endorse the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The German's closed the party newspaper and party voluntarily disbanded. This left the political field open to the NSB. The Dutch branch of Dinasso joined the NSB as did units of the NSNAP. The party's political supremacy was guaranteed on December 14, 1941 when the Germans declared the NSB to be the exclusive Dutch political party. Smaller parties were absorbed into the NSB or disbanded. In fact the strength of NSB and the smaller fascist parties was severly weakened as commited members joined the German war effort in Russia. Most did not survive the War on the Eastern Front, steadly reducing the NSB ranks. .

Dutch Right-wing Politics

The principal Dutch right-wing nationalist pary was the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging--NSB (Nationalist Scocialist Movement). Like the several smaller groups, the NSB which was founded in 1931 by civil engineer Anton Adriaan Mussert, was inspired by the NAZI example across the border in Germany. Unlike the other groups, however, the NSB did not advocate union with Germany and did not adopt the swastika. These policies probably explain the NSB's broader appeal. The Party stressed Dutch patriotism and won a few parliamentary seats in 1935, but achieved weak results in the 1939 elections. Many saw the Party's fortunes waning.

Nationale Jeugdstorm

The NSB Nationale Jeugdstorm--NJ (Youth Branch) was created in 1934 by Cornelis van Geelkeerken was to remain its Hoofdstormer (National Leader) througout its existence. Until the German invasion, it was a very small group with no more than 1,200 members.

Nederlandse Unie

Mussert's NSB was seen as the most important proponent of collaboration. His authority was briefly challenged because of a nationalist movement which apparently appeared spontaneously, the Nederlandse Unie-NU (the Netherlands Union). It was created in 1940 and urged the Dutch to adopt a "loyal" attitude toward the occupying Germans. It favored authoritarian government and patriotism, but on the orders of the Germans did not address the issue of the royal family. Interest in the NU was metioric in the early months of the occupation when many thought that the Germans would win. The NU soon had many more members than the NSB. But it soon faltered. The Dutch saw it as a patriotic (but non-collaborationist, anti-NSB movement) the Germans as a collaborantist moveement. When neither proved to be the case, the Dutch deserted it and the Germans supressed it.

Weerafdeling

The poster here reads: Wordt WA-man. Koopt en leest "De Zwarte Soldaat" or : Become a WA - man. Buy and read "The Black Soldier". WA means Weerafdeling, the military organisation of the Dutch Nazi Party NSB. It was set up in 1932 primarily to protect the party's canvassers and discontinued in 1935 after the government banned all private militia. It was re-established shortly after Germany occupied the Netherlands. The term black needs some explanation. It is not used in a racial context as this connotation is fairly recent in Dutch, the equivalent of "a black man" being "een neger" - and this has no depreciatory meaning. Rather, "black" in this context refers to the fascist character of a person or organization. A good example is Mrs. Florentine Rost van Tonningen, aged about 90 and nicknamed de zwarte weduwe (the black widow) who is still actively propagating the ide! as of her NSB husband. Thus "De Zwarte Soldaat" may perhaps more accurately translated as "The Fascist Soldier". The rest of the poster reads In dienst van ons volk (At the service of our nation); En gij? (And you ?). The WA-men served as a para-military force in the occupation. They played a major role in rounding up and transporting Jews to the NAZI death camps in Poland.

Operation Barbarrosa

The flash point was the NU's refusal to endorse the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The German's closed the party newspaper and party voluntarily disbanded. This left the political field open to the NSB. The Dutch branch of Dinasso joined the NSB as did units of the NSNAP. The party's political supremacy was guaranteed on December 14, 1941 when the Germans declared the NSB to be the exclusive Dutch political party. Smaller parties were absorbed into the NSB or disbanded. In fact the strength of NSB and the smaller fascist parties was severly weakened as commited members joined the German war effort in Russia. Most did not survive the War on the Eastern Front, steadly reducing the NSB ranks.

Dutch NAZIs during the Occupation

As many as 45,000 Dutch men and boys joined the NSB or other organizations supporting the NAZIs or German War effort. These individuals served in the Waffen SS, army and police. Such units were active in rounding up Jews and tracking down Jews in hiding. They were just as brutal as the NAZIs to the horrorof the Dutch people.






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Created: October 19, 2002
Last updated: 8:57 AM 10/10/2004