Léon Degrelle

Léon Degrelle was a Belgian fascist politician who founded the Rexist movement and served as a Waffen-SS officer on the Eastern Front during World War II.

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Rexism: A Belgian fascist movement founded by Léon Degrelle in 1935. Degrelle created and led this movement, which became the vehicle for his political ambitions.
Catholic Action: A movement of lay Catholics organized to promote Catholic influence in public life. Degrelle began his career in Catholic publishing and youth activism before building a political party.
Waffen-SS: The armed branch of the SS that fought for Nazi Germany during World War II. Degrelle joined this organization and rose to command a unit of Belgian volunteers.
German occupation of Belgium during World War II: Nazi Germany’s occupation of Belgium from 1940 to 1944. The occupation gave Degrelle’s movement a setting for collaboration and recruitment.
Adolf Hitler: German dictator who led the Nazi regime from 1933 until 1945. Degrelle publicly admired Hitler and cultivated a relationship with the Nazi leadership.
Belgian general election, 1936: A Belgian parliamentary election in which the Rexist Party won 21 seats and about 11.5 percent of the vote. The election marked Rexism’s breakthrough and Degrelle’s arrival as a national political figure.
Walloon Legion: A formation of Belgian French-speaking volunteers that fought for Germany on the Eastern Front. Degrelle served in this unit before it was incorporated into the Waffen-SS.
Liberation of Belgium: The Allied campaign that ended German occupation of Belgium in 1944. The liberation ended Rexism’s political power and left Degrelle facing prosecution.
Paul-Henri Spaak: Belgian socialist politician and diplomat who served as prime minister and later helped shape European cooperation. Spaak represents the democratic political tradition opposed by Degrelle’s authoritarian program.
Great Depression: A worldwide economic crisis that began in 1929 and caused prolonged unemployment and social hardship. Economic insecurity helped create an audience for Degrelle’s anti-establishment appeals.