Nazi-Maoism
Syncretic political ideology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Syncretic political ideology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nazi-Maoism was a political movement and ideology that emerged in Italy around 1968[1] with the formation of a group known as "Struggle of the People". This group of students from the Sapienza University of Rome[2] took heavy inspiration from the writings and theory of Franco Freda[3] and advocated for a combination of ideas from both the far-left and far-right. According to the Neo-Fascist group "Third Position", Nazi-Maoism had a stance of "neither capitalism nor communism, neither reds nor reactionary".[4] Nazi-Maoists such as Freda wanted to form a "Fascist dictatorship of the proletariat"[5] by using the Maoist guerrilla strategy of people's war to overthrow the government and the bourgeoisie.[6]
Nazi-Maoism is believed to have mostly faded away after the Struggle of the People group dissolved in 1973. However, some forms of Nazi-Maoism continued in other similar groups into the late 1970s, albeit not as active as the Struggle of the People. Some slogans of the so-called "Nazi-Maoism" can be found in numerous groups of the extra-parliamentary right, such as Terza Posizione and, more recently in Forza Nuova, who, despite an accentuated anti-communism and nationalist positions typical of the far-right, they have a strong attention to social problems, as well as a violent anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism.[7][8][9]
SS-veterans Sakari Haikala and Aarne Roiha were founding members of Maoist Finland–China Society[10] and members of its board.[11] Lieutenant Colonel and fascist party MP Paavo Susitaival described himself as a "Maoist fascist".[12][13] The pro-Maoist position among Finnish far-right was at least partially motivated by anti-Soviet position of Mao's China. "We visited the Helsinki embassy of China, and they showed anti-Russkie propaganda movies with massive cheering Chinese armies demanding attack to the USSR. We cheered also, this is the salvation of Finland. I still think that." said Haikala.[14]
Kai Murros is a prominent neo-fascist thought leader in Finland who has identified as a Maoist.[15][16]
In France, a sister organization of the Italian "Struggle of the People" was called: Lutte du Peuple. It was created from the remains of Giovane Europe and Jeune-Europe, which were sister organizations structured around ideas propagated mainly by Jean Thiriart. Among the founders of Lutte du Peuple (l'OLP) were some dissident left-wing nationalists of the Ordre Nouveau and European socialists of the Pour Une Jeune-Europe (not to be confused with Jeune-Europe headed by Jean Thiriart), directed by Yves Batille. These organizations were a mix of Jean Thiriart's theses with a Maoism adapted to the European scene, but there was a fundamental difference, because while for Thiriart Maoism was a secondary element, for Nazi-Maoist organizations it was a fundamental element.[17] Nazi-Maoist ideas were noticeably manifested in the ideology of the Fédération d'action nationale et européenne.[18]
In late 2019, Ukraine's Azov movement's literature club and publishing outfit Plomin (Flame, in Ukrainian), presented a translation of Freda's writings into Ukrainian. Freda's ideas were also promoted in Ukraine by neo-Nazi groups Karpatska Sich and Wotanjugend.[19]
Sister organizations were created in Spain and Germany, the Organización Nacional-Révolutionare Aufbau.[18]