Neo-Nazism in Spain

Neo-Nazism in Spain refers to the post-World War II movement which promotes the far-right ideology of National Socialism (more commonly known as Nazism).

While the Kingdom of Spain is home to many neo-Nazi organizations, none of them have gained a significant foothold in Spanish politics.

Precursor

The roots of neo-Nazism in Spain reside in Falangism, a brand of fascism. The Falangist ideology greatly influenced the politics of Spain during the Francoist dictatorship.

While Spain remained neutral throughout the Second World War, it maintained close political and economic ties to Nazi Germany. Spain's then-leader Francisco Franco sympathized with many beliefs of the Third Reich's National Socialist rhetoric. Franco took power following the Spanish Civil War with his forces receiving considerable military support from Nazi Germany to aid him and his faction throughout the course of the conflict.

During World War II, a volunteer unit consisting of Spaniards was established to assist German Army. This military division, known as the Blue Division, was incorporated into the German Wehrmacht as the 250th Infantry Division. Most of the unit was eventually withdrawn in 1943, when Franco started negotiating with the Allied Powers. The remaining soldiers from the Blue Division who chose not to return to Spain became assimilated into the 121st Infantry Division, the Blue Legion and the Waffen-SS.

Present

During the reign of Francisco Franco, a ______ group emerged in ________ which ______________. Eventually, however, the organization took on a strong neo-Nazi ideology. Its members included Belgian Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle and high-ranking Waffen-SS member Otto Skorzeny.

Bases Autónomas was a neo-Nazi political party in Spain that was active from 1983 until 1995. The group perpetuated several acts of terrorism including assaults and murders. Attacks on anarchist and communist groups, as well as state institutions, were also commenced by its members. Membership of Bases Autónomas had been largely comprised of young extremists who were part of the country's football hooligan and racist skinhead scenes.

In the year of 1988, the neo-Nazi ______ Acción Radical was founded on the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birthday (April 20th).

The Spanish branch of the United Kingdom-based neo-Nazi extremist group Blood & Honour, known as "Sangre y Honor" in Spanish, was established in 1999. This division existed up until 2011 before it was banned and dismantled by the Supreme Court of Spain.

In the late 1990s, a group of British neo-Nazis belonging to the International Third Position purchased the then-abandoned settlement of Los Pedriches, a small village located in the Province of Valencia.

A 1995 report published by the U.S. Department of Justice acknowledged the existence of neo-Nazi skinheads in Spain, estimating the country to have at least 500 members during that time.

1999 marked the founding of European Nation State (Estado Nacional Europeo), a small neo-Nazi party in Catalonia.

Volksfront, a neo-Nazi organization founded in the United States, maintains factions in a number of European countries - one of these being Spain. Although the U.S. branch of the group disbanded in 2012, the status of the rest of its divisions is unknown.

One of the most notable instances of neo-Nazi political violence took place in 2007 when Josué Estébanez de la Hija stabbed 16-year-old anti-fascist Carlos Javier Palomino Muñoz to death in Legazpi station. Palomino had been traveling with a group of fellow activists to counter-protest a demonstration organized by Democracia Nacional, a far-right Spanish political party.

The Hammerskins, a neo-Nazi skinhead organization that originated in the United States, operates a chapter in Spain. They are considered to be the country's most violent racist skinhead group. While the Spanish faction of the Hammerskins was outlawed in 2009 following a magistrate, police discovered that the group still has an apparent presence in Spain.

Neo-Nazi collective Hogar Social Madrid was established in 2014 by squatters in Madrid.

A young homosexual couple were attacked in Madrid on December of 2014 by a gang of neo-Nazis. One of the two victims sustained severe injuries and was hospitalized for several hours. Tthe pair refused to reveal their names or speak to the media about the incident in fear of retaliation.

In 2018, Spanish police officers arrested three individuals who had been operating a Spanish-language version of The Daily Stormer, an influential online US-distributed neo-Nazi newspaper. Dubbed as "El Daily Stormer" for the site's Spanish-speaking version, the news portal spread anti-Semitic, Hitlerist, xenophobic and Holocaust denial ideologies to its Hispanophone viewers - who allegedly account for a large portion of the site's visitors, particularly on its web forum section.

Several music groups which promote National Socialism exist in Spain, including: Kvlt des Todes, Taranis, Wolfssturm, Batallón de Castigo, Winterfrost, Sonnenrad, Torquemada 1488, Visurgis, Zagharos, Brigada Totenkopf, Odessa and Orcus Tyrannus. One of the most notable notable Spanish neo-Nazi bands is Division 250, a Rock Against Communism outfit whose lineup once featured _____ politician _________ _________ as its __________.

References

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