The flag of the British Union of Fascists showing the "Flash and Circle" symbolic of "action within unity"

The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a political party of the 1930s in the United Kingdom. The party was formed in 1932 by ex-Conservative Party MP, and Labour government minister Sir Oswald Mosley. The party was a union, comprised of several smaller Fascist parties, such as the British Fascisti. Image File history File links British_Union_of_Fascists_flag. ... Image File history File links British_Union_of_Fascists_flag. ... The flag of the British Union of Fascists The Flash and Circle is the best known symbol of the British Union of Fascists. ... Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A political party is a political organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the principal political party of the left in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (November 16, 1896 – December 3, 1980), was a British politician known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists. ... The British Fascisti were the first avowedly fascist organisation in Britain. ...

Character

Mosley modelled himself on another fascist leader, Benito Mussolini. He also modeled his party along the lines of fascist movements in other countries, primarily Italy. Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests inferior to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on ethnic, religious, cultural, or racial attributes. ... Mussolini holding a speech. ...

He instituted a black uniform, gaining the party the nickname Blackshirts. The BUF was anti-communist and protectionist. It supported the replacement of parliamentary democracy with a system of elected executives with jurisdiction over their own industries - something similar to the corporatism of the Italian fascists. Although unlike Italy the British Fascist Corporatism would remain a democracy, replacing the House of Lords with elected executives drawn from major industries, clergy and representatives of the colonies. The House of Commons was to be reduced in size to allow for a faster, less 'factionist democracy'.^[1] The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere or squadristi) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. The term was later applied to a similar group serving the British Union of Fascists before the War. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

The BUF had the most developed political programme and ideology of any fascist movement, laid out in such publications as Tomorrow We Live, and The Coming Corporate State.

Most of the BUFs policies were based around isolationism, a economic policy where-by Britain would trade only within the British empire as would the nations within the empire in a similar manner to the United States of America, the main attraction to this is that it would separate the British economy from the falls and fluxs of the world market Great Depression and prevent the loss of industrial production within Britain from the influence of "... labour the east, paid a third of our wages and working for ten hours a day.", and "Cheap slave competition from abroad." These were referring to the rise of western backed mass production in Indo-China similar to what is said about Chinese labour today. ^[2] The Great Depression was a time of economic down turn, which started after the Stock Market Crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. ...

Many of the BUF's members were drawn from aristocratic and military families and included celebrated military scientist J.F.C. Fuller. Its official policy throughout the 1930s was not anti-Semitic; however, some ranking members during this period were vehement proponents of it, and so the BUF was often represented as such. Major-General John Frederick Charles Fuller, CB, CBE, DSO, commonly J.F.C. Fuller, (September 1, 1878–February 10, 1966), was a British major-general, military historian and strategist, notable as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The listeners heard Sir O.Mosley refer to his would-be interrupters as "sweeping of the Continental ghettoes, hired by Jewish financiers": "and alien gang imported from all quarters of Britain by Jewish money to prevent Englishmen putting their case" ^[3]

In answer to a question about the Blackshirt attitude towards Jews, Sir Oswald Mosley said:- "We will not tolerate within the State a minority organized against the interests of the State. Jews must either put the interests of Britain before the interests of Jewry or they will be deported from Britain." ^[4]

Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (November 16, 1896 – December 3, 1980), was a British politician known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background are united in a given culture or religion live as a group, voluntarily or involuntarily, in milder or stricter seclusion. ... Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... The English are an ethnic group and nation primarily associated with England and the English language. ...

Prominence

The BUF claimed a membership as high as 50,000 at one point, and the Daily Mail was an early supporter, famously running the headline "Hurrah for the Blackshirts!". The Daily Mail is a British, tabloid newspaper, first published in 1896. ...

Opinion was divided in response to the BUF's black-shirted followers; in some quarters, their unified appearance, and the vision of militant Britishness they presented, won the party supporters^{[citation needed]}. Others found in them something absurd. P.G. Wodehouse, for example, based the "amateur dictator" Roderick Spode and his Black Shorts, which appear in his Jeeves and Wooster stories, on Mosley and the BUF. Called English literatures performing flea, P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output. ... Dictator is originally the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the state in times of emergency. ... Roderick Spode, 8th Earl of Sidcup, also known as Lord Sidcup, is a minor fictional character from the novels of P. G. Wodehouse. ... The Black Shorts are a fictional group of fascists led by amateur dictator Roderick Spode in the stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse. ... Hugh Laurie (left) and Stephen Fry portray Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves Jeeves and Wooster was a television series adapted by Clive Exton from P.G. Wodehouses Jeeves stories, and produced by Granada Television for the UKs ITV network from 1990 to 1993. ...

Despite considerable - and sometimes violent - resistance from Jewish people, the Labour Party, assorted democrats and the Communist Party of Great Britain, the BUF still found a following in the East End of London, where in the London County Council elections of 1937 they obtained good results in their strongholds of Bethnal Green, Shoreditch and Limehouse^{[citation needed]}. However, the BUF never faced a General Election - feeling unready^{[citation needed]} in 1935, they urged voters to abstain, offering the promise of "Fascism Next Time". The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist party in the United Kingdom. ... The East End of London, known locally as the East End, is an area, with no formal authority or boundaries, that spans a number of administative districts of London in England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... London County Council emblem is still seen today on buildings, especially housing, from that era London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London from 1889 until 1965, when it was replaced by the Greater London Council. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Bethnal Green is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. ... Shoreditch Town Hall Shoreditch is a place in the London Borough of Hackney. ... Limehouse Town Hall Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... This is a list of United Kingdom general elections since 1802. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ...

Towards the middle of the 1930s, the BUF's increasingly violent activities, and a growing discomfort at its perceived alignment with the German Nazi party, began to alienate some of its middle-class supporters. Membership accordingly decreased. At a rally in London, in 1934, BUF stewards became involved in a violent confrontation with militant communists, and this bad publicity caused the Daily Mail to withdraw its support from the party. The (German: Nazional- socialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) [National Socialist German Workers Party]); generally known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... The middle class, in colloquial usage, consists of those people who have a degree of economic independence, but not a great deal of social influence or power. ...

Final years and legacy

With its lack of electoral success, the party was drawn away from mainstream politics and further toward extreme anti-Semitism during 1934-1935 (which saw the resignation of leading members such as Dr. Robert Forgan). They organised several anti-Semitic marches and protests in London (recalling the earlier tactics of predecessors such as the British Brothers League), such as the one that resulted in the famous Battle of Cable Street in October 1936. Nonetheless, membership fell to below 8,000 by the end of 1935. The government was sufficiently concerned, however, to pass the Public Order Act of 1936, which banned the wearing of political uniforms during marches, required police consent for political marches to go ahead, and effectively destroyed the movement. The BUF was completely banned in May 1940, and Mosley and 740 other senior fascists were interned for much of World War II. Mosley made several unsuccessful attempts at a political comeback after the war, most notably in the Union Movement. The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Robert Forgan (1891-January 8, 1976) was a British politician who was a close associate of Oswald Mosley. ... The British Brothers League was a British proto-fascist group that attempted to organise along paramilitary lines. ... The Battle of Cable Street or Cable Street Riot took place on Sunday October 4, 1936 in Cable Street in the East End of London. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... The Public Order Act 1936 is the name of the UK law which helped the government to control extremist political movements in the 1930s. ... A number of political movements have involved their members wearing uniforms, typically as a way of showing their identity in marches. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... For other uses, see Internment (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Union Movement was an extreme right wing political party founded in Britain by Oswald Mosley. ...

The BUF in popular culture

In Harry Turtledove's alternative history novel, In the Presence of Mine Enemies, which is set in 2009 in a world where the Nazis were triumphant, the BUF governs Britain — and the first stirrings of the reform movement come from there. Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American historian and prolific novelist who has written historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction works. ... This article is 45 kilobytes or more in size. ...

British humorous writer P.G. Wodehouse extensively satirized the BUF and their leader in a number of books and short stories. The BUF was satirized as "The Black shorts" for their wearing of black shorts, and their leader was Roderick Spode who was eventually revealed as the owner of a ladies' underwear shop. Called English literatures performing flea, P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output. ... Roderick Spode, 8th Earl of Sidcup, also known as Lord Sidcup, is a minor fictional character from the novels of P. G. Wodehouse. ...

BUF Anthem

The BUF Anthem strongly resembles the German Horst-Wessel-Lied (anthem of the NSDAP), and was set to the same tune. Sound recordings are available of this anthem. The Horst Wessel Lied (Horst Wessel Song), also known as Die Fahne Hoch (The flag on high, from its opening line), was the anthem of the NSDAP of Germany, chosen to glorify Horst Wessel as a Nazi martyr. ...

The lyrics are as follows:

Comrades, the voices of the dead battalions,

Of those who fell that Britain might be great,

Join in our song, for they still march in spirit with us,

And urge us on to gain the fascist state!

(Repeat Last Two Lines)

We're of their blood, and spirit of their spirit,

Sprung from that soil for whose dear sake they bled,

Against vested powers, Red Front, and massed ranks of reaction,

We lead the fight for freedom and for bread!

(Repeat Last Two Lines)

The streets are still, the final struggle's ended;

Flushed with the fight we proudly hail the dawn!

See, over all the streets the fascist banners waving,

Triumphant standards of our race reborn!

(Repeat Last Two Lines)

Red Front was a socialist electoral coalition which stood candidates in the 1987 UK general election. ...

Prominent members

Despite their relatively short period of operation the BUF attracted a number of prominent members and supporters. These included:

• William Edward David Allen
• John Beckett
• A. K. Chesterton
• Robert Forgan
• Neil Francis Hawkins
• J.F.C. Fuller
• Reginald Goodall
• Jeffrey Hamm
• Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
• William Joyce
• Tommy Moran
• Alliott Verdon Roe
• Alexander Raven Thomson
• Henry Williamson

William Edward David Allen (January 6, 1901 – September 18, 1973) was an Ireland-born English scholar, Foreign Service officer, politician and businessman, best known as a historian of South Caucasus. ... John Beckett (1894-1964) was a leading figure in British politics between the world wars, both in the Labour Party and Fascist movements. ... Arthur Keneth Chesterton (1896 — August 16, 1973) was an ultra right-wing politician and journalist, instrumental in founding a number of right-wing organisations in Britain, primarily in opposition to the break-up of the British Empire, and later adopting a broader anti-immigration stance. ... Robert Forgan (1891-January 8, 1976) was a British politician who was a close associate of Oswald Mosley. ... Neil Francis Hawkins (1903-1950) was a leading British fascist, both before and after the Second World War. ... Major-General John Frederick Charles Fuller, CB, CBE, DSO, commonly J.F.C. Fuller, (September 1, 1878–February 10, 1966), was a British major-general, military historian and strategist, notable as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. ... Sir Reginald Goodall (July 13, 1901 - May 5, 1990) was a British conductor. ... Edward Jeffrey Hamm (1915-1994) was a leading British Fascist and supporter of Oswald Mosley. ... Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere (1868 - 1940) was a highly successful British newspaper proprietor, owner of Associated Newspapers. ... Joyce lies in an ambulance under armed guard before being taken from British Second Army Headquarters to hospital. ... Tommy Moran was a leading member of the British Union of Fascists and a close associate of Oswald Mosley. ... Sir Edwin Alliott Verdon Roe (April 26, 1877 – January 4, 1958) was a pioneer British pilot and aircraft manufacturer, and founder in 1910 of the Avro company. ... Alexander Raven Thomson (1899-1955) (known usually as simply Raven) was a leading figure in the British Union of Fascists and was considered to be the partys chief ideologue. ... Henry Williamson (December 1, 1895 - August 13, 1977), prolific English author known for his natural and social history novels. ...

See also

• List of British fascist parties
• Mosley (film) (1997)
• Diana Mosley - Wife of BUF leader Oswald Mosley

British politics after the First World War saw the emergence of a number of fascist movements, none of which ever came to power: British Fascisti British Fascists British Union of Fascists Imperial Fascist League National Fascisti National Socialist League Categories: | | | | ... Mosley was a 1997 television mini-series produced by Channel Four Television chronicling British fascist Oswald Mosleys life. ... Diana Mitford (June 17, 1910 - August 11, 2003) was one of Britains noted Mitford sisters. ...

Further reading

• Blackshirt: Sir Oswald Mosley and British Fascism by Stephen Dorril

References

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 1788. ...

External links

• OswaldMosley.com The Friends of Oswald Mosley