Nazism in Sweden - First Period

First Period

The earliest Nazi associations include the National Socialist Freedom League (SNFf) from 1924–1926, which preceded the Swedish National Socialist Farmer's and Worker's Party (SNBA). Leaders included the brothers Sigurd, Gunnar, and Birger Furugård. In 1926, the Swedish Fascist People's Party (SNFP) and the paramilitary group, the Swedish Fascist Militant Organization (SKFO), were also founded by Konrad Hallgren. The SFFP was renamed the Swedish National Socialist People's Party in 1929. In 1930, a splinter group called the New Swedish People's League (NSFF) emerged from it, led by Stig Bille. On April 1, 1930, the SNBA and SNFP merged as the New Swedish National Socialist League (NNF, later NSFF). The NNF adopted the new name The Swedish National Socialist Party (SNSP) one year later led by Sigurd Furugård. It first participated in a general election in 1931, when it garnered 279 votes in the Stockholm City Council Elections.

Internal disputes between Furugård and the editor of the party's newspaper, Sven Olov Lindholm, led to Lindholm and his followers being expelled from the party on January 13, 1933. These individuals formed the National Socialist Worker's Party (SNAP, later NSAP). The two parties were commonly referred to by their leaders as "Furugårdists" or "Lindholmists". On October 5, 1933, ten followers of Furugård stormed Lindholm's headquarters and stole cash and membership lists and were only stopped by police intervention. The fight between the two parties continued with periodic violence through the parliamentary elections of 1936 where the split caused the parties to fail miserably. Furugård was so discouraged he closed down operations of his SNSP. The NSAP saw further disappointments and a split of the left wing of the party.

As time went on, Per Engdahl (1909–1994) became a prominent figure in the Swedish Nazi movement. After his studies at Uppsala University, Engdahl joined the SKFO in 1928 but left for Bille's new NSFF. In 1931 he founded his own group, the National Socialist Worker's Party (FDNS), which merged with Elmo Lindholm's Swedish National Front (SNF) in 1937, the new party called the National Association for New Sweden (RFDNS).

The many divisions in the Nazi movement caused a power struggle. One attempt to bring unity was the National Socialist Bloc formed in 1933 under the leadership of colonel Martin Ekström, but that short-lived effort brought little success. The NSB did, however, manage to unify a number of small cult-like groups such as the Swedish National Socialist Coalition and the National Socialist League, but it failed when it was unable to attract the SNSP or NSAP. The members were mostly from the upper class, and many were officers in the military. Two founders included Colonel Archibald Douglas and general major Rickman von der Lancken.

The Moderate Coalition's (now the Moderate Party) youth league had been impressed by Hitler's successes in Germany, and it decided to adopt paramilitary practices on Hitler's model. The Youth league broke with the Moderate Party and formed the SNU (Swedish national youth league), later renamed the SNF (Swedish National Front). Three right-wing politicians who joined the SNF were elected to parliament in 1932. One of these was major Alf Meyerhöffer. All the seats were lost in the 1936 election.

In 1938, parts of the Swedish Nazi movement broke with Hitler. Lindholm's NSAP changed its name to the Swedish Socialist Coalition (SSS) and replaced its swastika with a bundle of wheat (Vasakärven). This happened shortly before Kristallnacht, which had discredited German Nazism. Other Swedish Nazis, however, maintained their loyalty to Hitler and the Germans and viewed Lindholm as a traitor.