Gaston-Armand Amaudruz
Encyclopedia
Gaston-Armand "Guy" Amaudruz (born December 21, 1920 in Lausanne
) is a Swiss
neo-fascist
political philosopher and Holocaust denier
.
Initially a supporter of the Swiss fascist
movement of Arthur Fonjallaz
, he came to wider attention in 1949 when he published Ubu Justicier au Premier Procès de Nuremberg, one of the first works to question the veracity of the Holocaust
. Increasingly active in neo-fascism, he organized conferences in Malmö
in 1951 which led to the formation of a pan-European nationalist
group known as the European Social Movement
and then led the more radical splinter group known as the New European Order
later that year. This group sought the creation of a new Rome
-Berlin
Axis to unite Europe against capitalism
and communism
and in January 1953 set up a European Liaison Office under Amaudruz in Lausanne to co-ordinate the work of affiliated groups. He also came an early member of the Volkspartei der Schweiz
but left the party over the issue of South Tyrol
(where he was opposed to irredentism
). Of all the groups involved Amaudruz was closest to Ordine Nuovo
. Conferences were held irregularly, although membership was fluid and Amaudruz devoted much of his time to writing for journals such as Nation Europa
.
In 1983 he set up Nationale Koordination as an umbrella group for figures on the Swiss far right. Bringing together various shades of extremist opinion, the group began to fall out of favour in the mid 1990s as younger activists saw it as an 'old man's club.
In 2000 Amaudruz was sentenced to a year in a Swiss jail for Holocaust denial and returned to prison in 2003 on similar charges. However as of 2005 he was continuing to publish a far right journal Courrier du continent.
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
) is a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
neo-fascist
Neo-Fascism
Neo-fascism is a post–World War II ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. The term neo-fascist may apply to groups that express a specific admiration for Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism or any other fascist leader/state...
political philosopher and Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
.
Initially a supporter of the Swiss fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
movement of Arthur Fonjallaz
Arthur Fonjallaz
Arthur Fonjallaz was a Swiss military figure, publisher and fascist.The son of a vineyard owner from Lausanne he attended the Military Academy in Modena and pursued a successful career in the Swiss Army, achieving the highest peace time rank of brigadier general whilst commanding the 4th Infantry...
, he came to wider attention in 1949 when he published Ubu Justicier au Premier Procès de Nuremberg, one of the first works to question the veracity of the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. Increasingly active in neo-fascism, he organized conferences in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
in 1951 which led to the formation of a pan-European nationalist
Pan-European nationalism
The idea that Europe should be united politically has been present in European culture since the Middle Ages, and inspired several proposals for some form of confederation. With the growth of nationalism in the 19th century, several pan-national ideas of Europe developed, some of them based on...
group known as the European Social Movement
European Social Movement
The European Social Movement was a neo-fascist Europe-wide alliance set up in 1951 to promote Pan-European nationalism.The ESM had its origins in the emergence of the Italian Social Movement , which established contacts with like-minded smaller groups in Europe during the late 1940s, setting up...
and then led the more radical splinter group known as the New European Order
New European Order
The New European Order was a neo-fascist Europe-wide alliance set up in 1951 to promote Pan-European nationalism. It was a more radical splinter-group of the European Social Movement....
later that year. This group sought the creation of a new Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
-Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
Axis to unite Europe against capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and in January 1953 set up a European Liaison Office under Amaudruz in Lausanne to co-ordinate the work of affiliated groups. He also came an early member of the Volkspartei der Schweiz
Volkspartei der Schweiz
Volkspartei der Schweiz was a Swiss neo-Nazi political party founded in 1951 by Gaston-Armand Amaudruz and Erwin Vollenweider.The party was one of the driving forces behind the foundation of the New European Order and boasted Hans Oehler amongst its leading members. It published its own paper...
but left the party over the issue of South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
(where he was opposed to irredentism
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
). Of all the groups involved Amaudruz was closest to Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo
Ordine Nuovo , full name Centro Studi Ordine Nuovo, "New Order Scholarship Center") was an Italian far right cultural and extra-parliamentary political and terrorist organization founded by Pino Rauti in 1956...
. Conferences were held irregularly, although membership was fluid and Amaudruz devoted much of his time to writing for journals such as Nation Europa
Nation Europa
Nation Europa is a monthly magazine, published in Germany, that was originally established in support of Pan-European nationalism...
.
In 1983 he set up Nationale Koordination as an umbrella group for figures on the Swiss far right. Bringing together various shades of extremist opinion, the group began to fall out of favour in the mid 1990s as younger activists saw it as an 'old man's club.
In 2000 Amaudruz was sentenced to a year in a Swiss jail for Holocaust denial and returned to prison in 2003 on similar charges. However as of 2005 he was continuing to publish a far right journal Courrier du continent.