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{{Infobox political party
The '''National Union''' ({{lang-fr|Union Nationale}}) was a [[Swiss French|French-speaking]] [[Fascism|fascist]] [[political party]] in [[Switzerland]]<ref>[http://www.dodis.ch/de/lunion-nationale-1932-1939-un-fascisme-en-suisse-romande 'L'Union nationale (1932–1939) : Un fascisme en Suisse Romande']</ref> between 1932 and 1939.
| name = National Union
| native_name = Union Nationale
| governing_body = Direction Counsel
| colorcode = {{party color|National Union (Switzerland)}}
| leader = William Droin (1932–1933), Roger Steinmetz (1933–1935), [[Georges Oltramare]] (1935–1939)
| founded = {{start date|1932||}}
| country = Switzerland
| dissolved = {{end date|1945||}}
| merger = Ordre politique nationale<br>{{ill|Union de défense économique|fr}}
| headquarters = [[Geneva]]
| membership_year = 1937
| membership = {{circa|2,000}}<ref name=HDS2/>
| ideology = [[Fascism]]<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|17406|National Union}}</ref><br>[[Corporatism]]<br>[[Nationalism]]<br>[[Anti-communism]]
| position = [[Far-right politics|Far-right]]
| slogan = Une doctrine, une foi, un chef
| anthem = Debout l'U.N.
| symbol = A sword and a cross
| newspaper = ''Le Citoyen'', ''L'Action nationale'', ''Bulletin de l'Union nationale''
}}
The '''National Union''' ({{lang-fr|Union nationale}}) was a nationalist [[political party]] in [[Switzerland]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dodis.ch/de/lunion-nationale-1932-1939-un-fascisme-en-suisse-romande |title='L'Union nationale (1932–1939) : Un fascisme en Suisse Romande' |access-date=2015-02-15 |archive-date=2015-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215124523/http://www.dodis.ch/de/lunion-nationale-1932-1939-un-fascisme-en-suisse-romande |url-status=dead }}</ref> between 1932 and 1945, that became fascist at some point. It was mainly active in the [[canton of Geneva]].<ref name=HDS/>

==History==
The Union was formed in [[Geneva]] in 1932 by [[Georges Oltramare]], a lawyer and writer. Noted for his [[anti-Semitic]] writing, Oltramare founded the Order Politique Nationale in 1931 but merged it with the Union de Défense Economique the following year to form the National Union. The group continued under Oltramare's leadership until 1940 when he moved to [[Paris]] in order to co-operate more closely with the [[Nazis]].<ref>Alan Morris Schom, [http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=4441317 'A Survey of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Switzerland: 1930-1945']</ref> Oltramare spent four years as a member of the [[Federal Assembly of Switzerland]] representing the National Union.<ref>[[Christoph Blocher]], [http://www.blocher.ch/en/artikel/970301worldwar2.pdf 'Switzerland and the Second World War - A Clarification']</ref>
The National Union was founded in [[Geneva]] in 1932 by the merging of two parties, the ''Ordre politique national'', founded in 1930 by the writer and journalist [[Georges Oltramare]], and the ''Union de défense économique'', founded in 1923 by a split from the right wing of the Democratic Party (which became the [[Liberal Party of Switzerland|Liberal Party]]). Oltramare spent four years as a member of the [[Federal Assembly of Switzerland]] representing the National Union.<ref>[[Christoph Blocher]], [http://www.blocher.ch/en/artikel/970301worldwar2.pdf 'Switzerland and the Second World War - A Clarification'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706222509/http://www.blocher.ch/en/artikel/970301worldwar2.pdf |date=2011-07-06 }}</ref> It became notorious for a demonstration in Geneva on November 9, 1932, when their march to the city's Salle Communale was counterdemonstrated by the [[Swiss Socialist Party]] and other members of the left. In the ensuing trouble, recruits of the [[Swiss army]] opened fire on the left demonstrators [[Geneva fusillade of 9 November 1932|resulting in 13 deaths]].<ref>[http://libcom.org/history/1932-the-geneva-massacre '1932 - The Geneva Massacre']</ref>

The National Union was the Swiss political movement most closely associated with [[Italian fascism]].<ref name=HDS2>{{HDS|17454|Fascism}}</ref> It demanded the reduction of public spending and taxes, and opposed any new naturalization and [[social welfare]] for non-Genevans ([[welfare chauvinism]]).<ref name=HDS/> It gained nine seats in the [[Grand Council of Geneva]] in the 1933 cantonal election, ten seats in the 1936 one and twelve seats in the 1942 one.<ref name=HDS2/> 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.<ref name=HDS/> In 1939, Oltramare left the party's leadership and was then excluded in 1940. After that he moved to Italy and then to [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|German-occupied]] [[Paris]] in order to co-operate more closely with the [[Nazi Germany|Nazis]].<ref>Alan Morris Schom, [http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=4441317 'A Survey of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Switzerland: 1930-1945'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510161701/http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=4441317 |date=2012-05-10 }}</ref> The party dissolved at the end of the war in 1945.<ref name=HDS/>
The Union became notorious for a demonstration in Geneva on November 9, 1932 when their march to the city's Salle Communale was counterdemonstrated by the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland]]. In the resulting trouble the [[Swiss army]] opened fire on the Socialists resulting in [[Geneva fusillade of 9 November 1932|13 deaths]].<ref>[http://libcom.org/history/1932-the-geneva-massacre '1932 - The Geneva Massacre']</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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{{Swiss far right}}
{{Swiss far right}}
{{Fascism}}
{{Fascism}}
{{Nazism}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Fascist parties]]
[[Category:Fascist parties]]
[[Category:Nazi parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1932]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1945]]
[[Category:1932 establishments in Switzerland]]
[[Category:1940s disestablishments in Switzerland]]

Revision as of 23:53, 15 June 2024

National Union
Union Nationale
LeaderWilliam Droin (1932–1933), Roger Steinmetz (1933–1935), Georges Oltramare (1935–1939)
Governing bodyDirection Counsel
Gegründet1932 (1932)
Dissolved1945 (1945)
Merger ofOrdre politique nationale
Union de défense économique [fr]
HauptsitzGeneva
NewspaperLe Citoyen, L'Action nationale, Bulletin de l'Union nationale
Membership (1937)c. 2,000[1]
IdeologyFascism[2]
Corporatism
Nationalism
Anti-communism
Political positionFar-right
SloganUne doctrine, une foi, un chef
AnthemDebout l'U.N.
Election symbol
A sword and a cross

The National Union (French: Union nationale) was a nationalist political party in Switzerland[3] between 1932 and 1945, that became fascist at some point. It was mainly active in the canton of Geneva.[2]

History

The National Union was founded in Geneva in 1932 by the merging of two parties, the Ordre politique national, founded in 1930 by the writer and journalist Georges Oltramare, and the Union de défense économique, founded in 1923 by a split from the right wing of the Democratic Party (which became the Liberal Party). Oltramare spent four years as a member of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland representing 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 the Swiss Socialist Party and other members of the left. In the ensuing trouble, recruits of the Swiss army opened fire on the left demonstrators resulting in 13 deaths.[5]

The National Union was the Swiss political movement most closely associated with Italian fascism.[1] It demanded the reduction of public spending and taxes, and opposed any new naturalization and social welfare for non-Genevans (welfare chauvinism).[2] It gained nine seats in the Grand Council of Geneva in 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 to German-occupied Paris in order to co-operate more closely with the Nazis.[6] The party dissolved at the end of the war in 1945.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Fascism in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  2. ^ a b c d e National Union in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  3. ^ "'L'Union nationale (1932–1939) : Un fascisme en Suisse Romande'". Archived from the original on 2015-02-15. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  4. ^ Christoph Blocher, 'Switzerland and the Second World War - A Clarification' Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ '1932 - The Geneva Massacre'
  6. ^ Alan Morris Schom, 'A Survey of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Switzerland: 1930-1945' Archived 2012-05-10 at the Wayback Machine