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Vidkun QuislingOrganizer (1933) and leader of the fascist party in Norway.
Date of Birth: 18.07.1887
Country:  Norway |
Content:
- Birth and Military Career
- Involvement in International Affairs
- Anti-Communism and Political Views
- Founding of Nasjonal Samling
- Collaboration with Nazi Germany
- Prime Minister of Collaborating Government
- Puppet Regime
- Post-War Trial and Execution
Birth and Military Career
Vidkun Quisling was born in 1887 in Norway. His father was a priest, and Quisling went on to excel in military school. He joined the Norwegian army and served as a military attaché to the Norwegian embassy in Petrograd in 1918.
Involvement in International Affairs
From 1922 to 1923, Quisling was involved in an international commission to aid starving people in the Volga region. He worked closely with Fridtjof Nansen, a famed Norwegian humanitarian.
Anti-Communism and Political Views
Quisling returned to Norway as a staunch anti-communist. He published a book in 1930 titled "Russia and Us," which denounced the Communist regime. He served as Norway's minister of defense from 1931 to 1933.
Founding of Nasjonal Samling
On May 17, 1933, Quisling founded the fascist party Nasjonal Samling (National Union) with his associates. The party received financial support from Germany and adopted Nazi symbols and policies.
Collaboration with Nazi Germany
Quisling met with Adolf Hitler several times and received assurances of financial and military support for a coup in Norway. He collaborated with German intelligence and played a crucial role in planning the Nazi invasion of Norway in April 1940.
Prime Minister of Collaborating Government
After the German invasion, Quisling declared himself the head of a new government and appointed himself prime minister and foreign minister. The government was later dissolved by German authorities, but Quisling remained as a commissioner for army demobilization.
Puppet Regime
In 1942, Quisling was appointed prime minister of a Norwegian government under German occupation. He declared that he would assume all the power previously held by the king, parliament, and government. He actively collaborated with the occupiers and declared war on the Soviet Union in 1943.
Post-War Trial and Execution
After the war, Quisling and his government surrendered. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death in a Norwegian court in 1945. Quisling was executed by firing squad, becoming a symbol of collaboration with Nazi Germany.
