Editing Strasserism (section)

== Influence ==
=== In 1930s Finland ===
Finnish politician [[Yrjö Ruutu]] founded the [[National Socialist Union of Finland]] (SKSL) in 1932, which was one of several [[Nazism in Finland|Finnish Nazi parties]] at the time. Ruutu's ideas included the nationalization of large companies and other assets vital for national interests, a self-sufficient planned economy, a parliament controlled by trade unions and the appointment of technocrats as ministers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pohtiva - Suomen Kansallissosialistisen Liiton yleisohjelma |url=https://www.fsd.tuni.fi/pohtiva/ohjelmalistat/SKSL/348 |website=www.fsd.tuni.fi |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> Ruutu's party remained on the fringes of Finnish politics and never gained any seats in parliament, but it is considered to have had a considerable influence on the ideology of the [[Academic Karelia Society]] and president [[Urho Kekkonen]].<ref name="KB"/> In 1944, all Nazi parties in Finland were dissolved as contrary to Article 21 of the [[Moscow Armistice]], which forbade fascist parties.<ref> Mikko Uola: "Suomi sitoutuu hajottamaan...": Järjestöjen lakkauttaminen vuoden 1944 välirauhansopimuksen 21. artiklan perusteella, s. 262–271. Helsinki: Suomen Historiallinen Seura, 1999. ISBN 951-710-119-8.</ref> Some former members of Ruutu's party, such as [[Yrjö Kilpeläinen]] and [[Unto Varjonen]], became prominent figures in the right-wing faction of the post-war [[Social Democratic Party of Finland]].<ref name="KB">{{cite web |url=https://kansallisbiografia.fi/kansallisbiografia/henkilo/5253 |title=Ruutu, Yrjö (1887–1956) |last=Soikkanen |first=Timo |date=14 June 2002 |website=[[Suomen kansallisbiografia]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ekberg|first=Henrik|title=Führerns trogna följeslagare. Den finländska nazismen 1932–1944.|date=1991|publisher=[[Schildts]]|isbn=951-50-0522-1|pages=95–99}}</ref> Another prominent former member, [[Vietti Nykänen]], became the vice chairman of the [[Radical People's Party (Finland)|Radical People's Party]]. Early SKSL member [[Ensio Uoti]] was a presidential candidate in 1956 elections. He gained some support and was endorsed by [[Yleisö]] newspaper.<ref> Tommi Kotonen: Politiikan juoksuhaudat – Äärioikeistoliikkeet Suomessa kylmän sodan aikana, Atena, Jyväskylä 2018. p. 76-83.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Uola |first1= Mikko |title= Ernesti Hentunen – tasavallan hovinarri |series= Turun Yliopiston poliittisen historian tutkimuksia 7 |issn=1238-9420 |year= 1997 |publisher= Turun yliopiston poliittisen historian laitos |location= Turku |language= Finnish |isbn= 951-29-1024-1 }}</ref> Member of the board of the party Heikki Waris later became Minister of Social Affairs in the [[Von Fieandt Cabinet]] in 1957.<ref>Autio, Veli-Matti (toim.): Professorimatrikkeli 1918–1996 Professorsmatrikel, s. 598–599. Helsinki: Helsingin yliopisto, 1997. ISBN 951-45-7818-X.</ref>

=== In post-war Germany ===
[[File:Black Front flag.svg|thumb|left|175px|Flag of the [[Black Front]], which is commonly used by Strasserists.]]
During the 1970s, the ideas of Strasserism began to be mentioned more in European far-right groups as younger members with no ties to Hitler and a stronger sense of economic antisemitism came to the fore. Strasserite thought in Germany began to emerge as a tendency within the [[National Democratic Party of Germany]] (NPD) during the late 1960s. These Strasserites played a leading role in securing the removal of [[Adolf von Thadden]] from the leadership and after his departure the party became stronger in condemning Hitler for what it saw as his move away from socialism in order to court business and army leaders.<ref>R. Eatwell, ''Fascism: A History'', 2003, p. 283.</ref>

Although initially adopted by the NPD, Strasserism soon became associated with more peripheral extremist figures, notably [[Michael Kühnen]], who produced a 1982 pamphlet ''Farewell to Hitler'' which included a strong endorsement of the idea. The [[Volkssozialistische Bewegung Deutschlands/Partei der Arbeit|People's Socialist Movement of Germany/Labour Party]], a minor extremist movement that was outlawed in 1982, adopted the policy. Its successor movement, the [[Nationalist Front (Germany)|Nationalist Front]], did likewise, with its ten-point programme calling for an "anti-materialist cultural revolution" and an "anti-capitalist social revolution" to underline its support for the idea.<ref>C. T. Husbands, "Militant Neo-Nazism in the Federal Republic of Germany" in L. Cheles, R. Ferguson, M. Vaughan, ''Neo-Fascism in Europe'', 1992, pp. 99–100.</ref> The [[Free German Workers' Party]] also moved towards these ideas under the leadership of [[Friedhelm Busse]] in the late 1980s.<ref>C. T. Husbands, "Militant Neo-Nazism in the Federal Republic of Germany" in L. Cheles, R. Ferguson, M. Vaughan, ''Neo-Fascism in Europe'', 1992, p. 97.</ref>

The flag of the Strasserite movement [[Black Front]] and its symbol of a crossed hammer and a sword has been used by German and other European [[neo-Nazis]] abroad as a substitute for the more infamous [[Nazi flag]] which is banned in some countries such as Germany.

=== In the United Kingdom ===
Strasserism emerged in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and centred on the [[National Front (UK)|National Front]] (NF) publication ''Britain First'', the main writers of which were [[David McCalden]], [[Richard Lawson (UK politician)|Richard Lawson]] and [[Denis Pirie]]. Opposing the leadership of [[John Tyndall (politician)|John Tyndall]], they formed an alliance with [[John Kingsley Read]] and ultimately followed him into the [[National Party (UK, 1976)|National Party]] (NP).<ref>N. Copsey, ''Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy'', 2004, pp. 17–18.</ref> The NP called for British workers to seize the right to work and offered a fairly Strasserite economic policy.<ref>M. Walker, ''The National Front'', 1977, p. 194.</ref> Nonetheless, the NP was short-lived. Due in part to Read's lack of enthusiasm for Strasserism, the main exponents of the idea drifted away.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

The idea was reintroduced to the NF by [[Andrew Brons]] in the early 1980s when he decided to make the party's ideology clearer.<ref>N. Copsey, ''Contemporary British Fascism: The British National Party and the Quest for Legitimacy'', 2004, pp. 33–34.</ref> However, Strasserism was soon to become the province of the radicals in the [[Official National Front]], with Richard Lawson brought in a behind-the-scenes role to help direct policy.<ref>[[Gerry Gable|G. Gable]], 'The Far Right in Contemporary Britain' in L. Cheles, R. Ferguson & M. Vaughan, ''Neo-Fascism in Europe'', 1992, p. 97.</ref> This [[Political Soldier]] wing ultimately opted for the indigenous alternative of [[distributism]], but their strong anti-capitalist rhetoric as well as that of their [[International Third Position]] successor demonstrated influences from Strasserism. From this background emerged [[Troy Southgate]], whose own ideology and those of related groups such as the English Nationalist Movement and [[National Revolutionary Faction]] were influenced by Strasserism.

=== Elsewhere ===
[[File:Logo of the Polish National Socialist Party.svg|thumb|150px|Logo of Polish ''Partia Narodowych Socjalistów''.]]
[[Third Position]] groups, whose inspiration is generally more Italian in derivation, have often looked to Strasserism, owing to their strong opposition to capitalism based on economic antisemitic grounds. This was noted in France, where the student group ''[[Groupe Union Droit|Groupe Union Défense]]'' and the more recent ''[[Renouveau français]]'' both extolled Strasserite economic platforms.<ref>R. Griffin, ''The Nature of Fascism'', 1993, p. 166.</ref>

In the United States, [[Tom Metzger]], a white supremacist, had some affiliation to Strasserism, having been influenced by Kühnen's pamphlet.<ref>[[Martin A. Lee|M. A. Lee]], ''[[The Beast Reawakens]]'', 1997, p. 257.</ref> Also in the United States, [[Matthew Heimbach]] of the former [[Traditionalist Worker Party]] identifies as a Strasserist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news2share.com/start/2018/12/02/matthew-heimbach-expelled-from-national-socialist-movement-source-says/|title=Matthew Heimbach Expelled from National Socialist Movement, Source Says|first=Ford|last=Fischer|date=2 December 2018|website=News2Share}}</ref> Heimbach often engages primarily in [[anti-capitalist]] rhetoric during public speeches instead of overt [[antisemitism]], [[anti-Masonry]] or [[anti-communist]] rhetoric. Heimbach was expelled from the [[National Socialist Movement (United States)|National Socialist Movement]] due to his economic views being seen by the group as too left-wing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idavox.com/index.php/2018/12/03/matthew-heimbach-kicked-out-of-national-socialist-movement-for-being-a-communist|title=Matthew Heimbach Kicked out of National Socialist Movement for Being a 'Communist'|date=3 December 2018|website=Idavox}}</ref> Heimbach stated that the NSM "essentially want it to remain a politically impotent [[white supremacist]] gang".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/neo-nazi-groups-new-leader-a-black-activist-has-vowed-to-end-it/|title=Neo-Nazi group's new leader, a black activist, has vowed to end it|date=1 March 2019|website=CBS News}}</ref>