Nasjonal Samling

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The so-called Solar Cross, symbol of the Hird, the Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling's analogue of the German paramilitary stormtroopers. The symbol of the party itself was similar, but lacked the swords.

Nasjonal Samling (Norwegian for "National Gathering" or "National Unification," hereafter abbreviated as NS) was a fascist party in Norway active in the period 1933-45. Founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of sympathisers such as Johan Bernhard Hjort -- who was to lead the party's paramilitary wing (the Hird) for a short time before leaving the party in 1937 after internal conflict. The party claimed to have been founded on the 17^th of May, Norway's national holiday, but was in fact founded several days earlier, on the 13^th.

While the party failed to muster considerable support in the national and local elections before the war, it made its mark on Norwegian politics nonetheless. Despite the fact that it never managed to get more than 2.5% of the vote, it became a factor by polarizing the political scene. All of the established parties in Norway viewed it as a Norwegian version of the Nazis, and generally refused to cooperate with it in any way. Several of its marches and rallies before the war were either banned, or, as in Germany, marred by violence as working-class activists (Communists and socialists) clashed with the Hird.

A significant trait of the party throughout its existence was a relatively high level of internal conflict. Antisemitism, Anti-Masonry, and differing views on religion, as well as the party's association with the Nazis and Germany were hotly debated, and led to the party becoming factionalized. When World War II broke out, the party had been reduced to a political sect with hardly any real activity.

When Germany invaded Norway in 1940, Quisling stormed into the NRK studios in Oslo and broadcast the proclamation of himself as Prime Minister, ordering the temination of all armed resistance to the German forces. However, the legitimate Norwegian government in unoccupied territory refused to step down in his favour or serve under him. It confirmed that resistance was to be continued. With no popular support, the German occupants quickly thrust Quisling aside.

After a brief period with a civilian caretaker government (Administrasjonsrådet) appointed by the Supreme Court, the Germans took control through Reichskommissar Josef Terboven. He appointed a government responsible to himself, with most ministers from the ranks of Nasjonal Samling. However, the party leader, Quisling, was controversial in Norway as well as among the occupiers, and was denied a formal position until February 1, 1942, when he became “minister president” in an NS government. Other important ministers were Jonas Lie (also head of the Norwegian wing of the SS from 1941) as minister of police, Dr. Gulbrand Lunde as minister of "popular enlightenment and propaganda", as well as the opera singer Albert Viljam Hagelin, who was Minister of Domestic Affairs. The NS administration had a certain amount of autonomy in purely civilian matters, but was in reality controlled by the Reichskommissar as “head of state”, subordinate only to Adolf Hitler.

Strong belief in Lutheranism, national romanticism, authoritarianism, and corporatism dominated NS ideology. It also relied heavily on Nordic symbolism, utilizing Vikings, pre-Christian religion and runes in its propaganda and speeches. St. Olav Haraldsson, who is often cited as having introduced Christianity to Norway, was especially important to the party. It asserted that its symbol (shown at the head of this article), a golden cross sun cross on a red background, had been the symbol that Olav had painted on his shield.

Though the party had close ties to German National Socialism during the occupation, it was more similar to the Italian National Fascist Party in terms of ideology^{[citation needed]}.

The post-war authorities banned the party and prosecuted its members as collaborators. Nearly 50,000 were brought to trial, approximately half of whom received jail penalties. The authorities executed Quisling for treason, a few other high-profile NS members, and prominent German officials in Norway, for war crimes. The sentences' legality has been questioned, however, as Norway did not have peacetime capital punishment, and the Norwegian constitution at the time stipulated that capital punishment for war crimes had to be carried out during actual wartime.

Another issue of post-war treatment has been the ongoing Hamsun debate in Norway. The internationally renowned author Knut Hamsun, though never a member, was a well- known sympathiser. After the war Hamsun was, however, deemed mentally unfit to stand trial, and many feel that the issue of his links to the party has never been properly resolved. Hamsun's status as a Nobel Prize laureate and probably the best-known Norwegian author next to Henrik Ibsen, also results in his ties to NS being a touchy subject, as many feel valuation of Hamsun's literature should not be marred by constant debate about whether or not he was a fascist.