The National Radical Camp (Polish: Obóz Narodowo Radykalny, ONR) was a Polish extreme right anti-semitic, anti-communist, and nationalist political party, formed on 14 April 1934 mostly by the youth radicals who left the National Party of the National Democracy movement.
The party was influenced by the ideas of Italian fascism, and tried to cope the ideas of totalitarianism with limited parlamentarism and pluralism. Some authors do not consider it as a fascist political movement, whilst others suggest its ideology had fascist elements or even consider it as a 'nazified' movement.
The party was created on the insistence of former members of the Camp of Great Poland (Obóz Wielkiej Polski), most notably Jan Mosdorf, Tadeusz Gluziński and Henryk Rossman. The organisation proclaimed changes in the government based on the nationalist ideology. It supported class solidarity, nationalisation of foreign and Jewish-owned companies and introduction of anti-semitic laws. At the same time it supported defence of private property and a centralised state. The party favoured aggressive eliminationist action against the Poland's minorities. The leading members of ONR-ABC included Henryk Rossman, Tadeusz Gluziński, Stanisław Piasecki, Jan Jodzewicz, Wojciech Zaleski, Tadeusz Todtleben and Jan Korolec. The leading members of ONR-Falanga included Bolesław Piasecki, Wojciech Wasiutyński, Wojciech Kwasieborski and Marian Reutt.
The ONR was popular mostly among the students and other groups of urban youth. ONR openly encouraged anti-Jewish pogroms, and became main force in the organization of anti-Jewish violence Because of its involvement in boycott of Jewish-owned stores, as well as numerous attacks on left-wing worker demonstrations, the ONR was delegalised after three months of existence, in July 1934. Several leaders were interned in the Bereza Kartuska Detention Camp, where the organisation split into two separate factions: the ONR-Falanga (Ruch Narodowo-Radykalny) led by Bolesław Piasecki and the ONR-ABC (Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny) formed around the ABC journal and led by Henryk Rossman. Both organizations were officially illegal.
During World War II both organisations created underground resistance organizations: ONR-ABC was transformed into Grupa Szańca (Rampart Group) whose military arm became the Związek Jaszczurczy (Lizard Union), while the ONR-Falanga created the Konfederacja Narodu (Confederation of the Nation). They were not supportive of the mainstream Polish Secret State related to the Polish government in exile. During Nazi occupation of Poland, many of the former ONR activists belonged to National Armed Forces resistance groups. Some, on the other hand, actively helped Nazis, seeing Jews, not Nazis as the main threat to Poland. After World War II, the forced exile of many ONRs was made permanent by the communist regime, which branded them enemies of the state.
Famous quotes containing the words national, radical and/or camp:
“But the creative person is subject to a different, higher law than mere national law. Whoever has to create a work, whoever has to bring about a discovery or deed which will further the cause of all of humanity, no longer has his home in his native land but rather in his work.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)
“Any critic is entitled to wrong judgments, of course. But certain lapses of judgment indicate the radical failure of an entire sensibility.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)
“Rosalynn said, “Jimmy, if we could only get Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat up here on this mountain for a few days, I believe they might consider how they could prevent another war between their countries.” That gave me the idea, and a few weeks later, I invited both men to join me for a series of private talks. In September 1978, they both came to Camp David.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)