Frontpartij

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Frontpartij
FounderAdiel de Beuckelaere
Founded1919; 105 years ago (1919)
Dissolved1933; 91 years ago (1933)
Preceded byFrontbeweging
Vlaamsche Front
Succeeded by
Roman Catholic Church

The Frontpartij (Dutch; "Front Party") was a Belgian political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people and their language. Originating from the earlier Frontbeweging ("Front Movement"), the Frontpartij was an early attempt to fully politicise the Flemish Movement. In contrast to some of its successor movements the party supported democracy and autonomy rather than authoritarianism and independence.[1]

Origins

The group had its origins amongst

Christ," it attempted to organise within the army in support of equal language rights. Whilst the group was not anti-Belgian, it scared the generals, who suppressed it.[2]

By summer 1917, the group had re-emerged in secret and, organised by Corporal Adiel de Beuckelaere, this new version, known as the Frontbeweging, set up a structure of representatives and committees across the army.[3] With de Beuckelaere, a Ghent schoolteacher, and other leaders such as Joris Van Severen coming from an intellectual background they attempted to articulate their demands by sending a letter to King Albert calling for a separate Flemish Army and self-government for Flanders within Belgium. However the response of high command was to repress the Frontbeweging more forcefully than before.[3]

The sudden collapse of the

German Imperial Army in mid-1918 meant that the Belgian army experienced a rapid advance, leading to confusion and a lack of communication between Frontbeweging members.[3] However, whilst the group's aims had not been met, it reconstituted after the Armistice under the name Vlaamsche Front.[3]

Political party

The movement was soon formalised as a

Francophone large landowners.[3] Its ideology was vague although generally identified as left-wing and within its ranks adherents of both socialism and communism were to be found.[4]

Growth

The 6.3% of the vote captured in the

Flemings that had collaborated with Germany, with the sentence of death passed on August Borms (albeit not carried out) and numerous life sentences for lesser collaborators attracting condemnation in Flanders.[5]

The party's vote fell in the 1921 election although it was here that Van Severen was first elected to Parliament.[6] The loss of support proved to be a temporary set-back however as they took 25,000 votes and six seats in 1925 before following this with 132,000 votes and 11 seats in 1929.[6] In between August Borms had even been elected to Parliament for the party in a 1928 by-election.[7]

Splits and refoundation

Van Severen lost his seat in the latter election, however, and removed from the centre of the party and having become a disciple of

far right group supporting the Dietsch option.[8]

The Frontpartij lost a lot of support and three seats in the

Flemish nationalism in the 1930s.[10]

References

  1. ^ Stanley G. Payne, A History of Fascism 1914-1945, London, Routledge, 2001, p. 300
  2. ^ F.L. Carsten, The Rise of Fascism, London: Methuen & Co, 1974, pp. 205-6
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Carsten, The Rise of Fascism, p. 207
  4. ^ a b John T. Ishiyama & Marijke Breuning, Ethnopolitics in the New Europe, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998, p. 112
  5. ^ Carsten, The Rise of Fascism, pp. 207-8
  6. ^ a b c d Carsten, The Rise of Fascism, p. 208
  7. ^ Tom Buchanan & Martin Conway, Political Catholicism in Europe, 1918-1965, Oxford University Press, 1996, p. 198
  8. ^ Carsten, The Rise of Fascism, p. 208-9
  9. ^ Ishiyama & Breuning, Ethnopolitics in the New Europe, pp. 112-3
  10. ^ Giovanni Capoccia, Defending Democracy: Reactions to Extremism in Interwar Europe, JHU Press, 2005, p.40

Further reading

  • ISBN 9789028972575
    .
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