Paul Hoornaert
Encyclopedia
Paul Hoornaert was a Belgian
far right
political activist. Although a pioneer of fascism
in the country he was an opponent of Nazism
and died in a Nazi concentration camp.
A lawyer by profession and native of Liège, Hoornaert was a veteran of the First World War where his combat record was highly distinguished. A strong admirer of Benito Mussolini
, but equally demonstrating a staunch hatred of Germany
, Hoornaert was a member of the far right veterans' group National Legion, known by both its French
name of the Légion Nationale and its Dutch
name of the Nationaal Legioen, which was set up in 1922. Initially a minor group it grew rapidly from 1927 when Hoornaert became leader and converted it into a paramilitary militia. The militia, which staunchly opposed Rexism
despite sharing some aims, was strongly opposed to political party
activity and for this reason Hoornaert broke from his sometime supporter, the writer Pierre Nothomb
when he returned to the Catholic Party
. His opponent Leon Degrelle
suggested that Hoornaert never had more than 300 followers although more recent estimates have suggested that the Legion commanded as many as 7000 members by the early 1930s. He has been compared to Georges Valois
in leading a pioneer fascist movement that rejected Nazism
and instead took its impetus from the likes of Charles Maurras
whilst drawing on disaffected ex-servicemen for its membership.
As well as leading the Legion Hoornaert was also briefly involved with he Nationaal Corporatief Arbeidsverbond (National Corporate Workers Union or NACO), a group set up by industrialist Charles Somville in June 1933. Hoornaert was a founder member of this group, although he and Somville clashed and became bitter rivals, partly because Somville feared that Hoornaert wanted to swallow up NACO in the Legion and partly because he was not enthusiastic about Somville's pet project, anti-Semitism
.
Following the German invasion Hoornaert was forced underground after the Nazis outlawed his militia. As a consequence he joined the Légion Belge, a far right resistance movement
led by dissident Rexists who opposed the occupation of Belgium. For his activity in this group Hoornaert was arrested by the Germans in 1942 and died in Fort Breendonk
concentration camp on 2 February 1944.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
political activist. Although a pioneer of fascism
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...
in the country he was an opponent of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and died in a Nazi concentration camp.
A lawyer by profession and native of Liège, Hoornaert was a veteran of the First World War where his combat record was highly distinguished. A strong admirer of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, but equally demonstrating a staunch hatred of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Hoornaert was a member of the far right veterans' group National Legion, known by both its French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
name of the Légion Nationale and its Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
name of the Nationaal Legioen, which was set up in 1922. Initially a minor group it grew rapidly from 1927 when Hoornaert became leader and converted it into a paramilitary militia. The militia, which staunchly opposed Rexism
Rexism
Rexism was a fascist political movement in the first half of the 20th century in Belgium.It was the ideology of the Rexist Party , officially called Rex, founded in 1930 by Léon Degrelle, a Walloon...
despite sharing some aims, was strongly opposed to political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
activity and for this reason Hoornaert broke from his sometime supporter, the writer Pierre Nothomb
Pierre Nothomb
Pierre, Baron Nothomb was a Belgian writer and right-wing politician. Well known for his varied output of fiction Nothomb also came to prominence with a number of reactionary and near-fascist movements before the Second World War...
when he returned to the Catholic Party
Catholic Party (Belgium)
The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
. His opponent Leon Degrelle
Léon Degrelle
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen SS which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union...
suggested that Hoornaert never had more than 300 followers although more recent estimates have suggested that the Legion commanded as many as 7000 members by the early 1930s. He has been compared to Georges Valois
Georges Valois
Georges Valois was a French journalist and politician.-Life and career:Born in a working-class and peasant family, Georges Valois went to Singapore at the age of 17, returning to Paris in 1898. In his early years he was an Anarcho-syndicalist...
in leading a pioneer fascist movement that rejected Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and instead took its impetus from the likes of Charles Maurras
Charles Maurras
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras was a French author, poet, and critic. He was a leader and principal thinker of Action Française, a political movement that was monarchist, anti-parliamentarist, and counter-revolutionary. Maurras' ideas greatly influenced National Catholicism and "nationalisme...
whilst drawing on disaffected ex-servicemen for its membership.
As well as leading the Legion Hoornaert was also briefly involved with he Nationaal Corporatief Arbeidsverbond (National Corporate Workers Union or NACO), a group set up by industrialist Charles Somville in June 1933. Hoornaert was a founder member of this group, although he and Somville clashed and became bitter rivals, partly because Somville feared that Hoornaert wanted to swallow up NACO in the Legion and partly because he was not enthusiastic about Somville's pet project, anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
.
Following the German invasion Hoornaert was forced underground after the Nazis outlawed his militia. As a consequence he joined the Légion Belge, a far right resistance movement
Belgian resistance
Belgian resistance during World War II to the occupation of Belgium by Nazi Germany took different forms. "The Belgian Resistance" was the common name for the Netwerk van de weerstand - Réseau de Résistance or Resistance Network , a group of partisans fighting the Nazis...
led by dissident Rexists who opposed the occupation of Belgium. For his activity in this group Hoornaert was arrested by the Germans in 1942 and died in Fort Breendonk
Fort Breendonk
Fort Breendonk is a fortification built in 1906 as part of the second ring of defences around the city of Antwerp . Originally one in a chain of fortresses constructed to defend Belgium against a German attack, Breendonk was near the town of the same name, about 12 miles southwest of Antwerp...
concentration camp on 2 February 1944.