Spectres of Nazism and The Battle of Trafalgar Square

Spectres of Nazism and The Battle of Trafalgar Square

Fascism and Nazism was very much alive in sixties Britain. Despite countless social, cultural and political progressions they had not died in 1945. There were several organisations on the far right in Britain during this period, so it is strange there is an absence of historical studies into these extremist groups.[1] Accepting that Nazism has not perished and subsequently obtaining the ability to recognise British Nazism is vital if we are to guard against it. 

It is generally accepted that of these extremist groups the most dangerous and blatant was the National Socialist Movement (NSM).[2] Open Hitler worship, a transnational approach and media coverage gave this group far more significance than its numbers suggest it deserves. Reports on the group’s membership vary, some stating it held less than 100 members at its peak.³ It is briefly worth noting that numbers do not reveal the scope of Nazi or Fascist presence in a society, as Martin Pugh demonstrates in Hurrah for the Blackshirts.⁴ The leader of the NSM was Colin Jordan, a persistent figure on the extreme right of British politics during the 20^th century and was well known for his passionate admiration of Hitler. Before World War Two broke out, a conflict Jordan interestingly fought in, he visited Germany as a schoolboy in 1937. Stating in an interview in his later years, Jordan could not help a feeling of ‘euphoria’, ‘joyfulness’ and ‘excitement for the future’ during his stay in Nazi Germany.⁵ It will come to you as no surprise then, that when National Socialism was once again the subject of tabloids, Colin Jordan was leading the Nazi charge. An NSM rally in Trafalgar Square on July 1^st, 1962 marks what Paul Jackson labels a ‘watershed’ in the group’s history.⁶ It also neatly demonstrates Nazism had not totally vanished in 1945, as is sometimes assumed. The rally itself ended up descending into chaos. The Times extensively covered the rally recording some 2000 protesters, with sympathisers of the NSM looking rather uncomfortable.⁷ Jordan espoused openly racist rhetoric at the meeting, claiming ‘Hitler was right’ and that ‘we should have been fighting the world Jewry’ instead of Nazi Germany in World War Two.⁸ NSM banners read ‘Free Britain From Jewish Control’.⁹ The situation quickly spiralled out of control when the police formed a protective cordon around the Nazi speakers. This cordon was swiftly broken. Retreating to their suitably damaged getaway vehicles the speakers escaped, and as they fled would have seen their banner burned by protesters – a satisfying image and end to The Battle of Trafalgar Square.

What is the importance of this rally? Its relevancy stands as a warning. In a decade where countless progressions were made, the spectre of anti-modernism remained, its manifestation found in Nazi groups such as the NSM. It is not uncommon for Fascism or Nazism to be viewed as epochal, confined to a certain period and no longer possible. Unsurprisingly, this has become a hotly debated topic within History and other disciplines. Ernst Nolte famously took this position in Three Faces of Fascism, first published in English 1966.¹⁰ Articulately placing ‘fascism in its epoch’, it is difficult to overstate impact Nolte’s work had and still has on the historical study of Fascism. However, rallies such as the one discussed here should keep us vigilant to the recurring spectres of Nazism, or there will be many more battles to come.

By Kian Aspinall

     1-‘The Transnational Reaction to1968: Neo-Fascist Fronts and Political Cultures in France and Italy, The Journal of Contemporary History, Vol.17, No.2 (2008), pp. 213-236 (p.214)

    2-  Richard Thurlow, Fascism in Britain: From Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts to the National Front (London: I.B Tauris & Co Ltd, 2009) p.231

   3- Paul Jackson, Colin Jordan and Britain’s Neo-Nazi Movement: Hitler’s Echo (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016) p. 121

    4-  Martin Pugh, ‘Hurrah for the Blackshirts’ Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the Wars (London: Jonathon Cape, 2005) p. 24

    5- Jordan, Colin. ‘Colin Jordan Interviewed by British Movement’. Bit Chute. https://www.bitchute.com/video/UqLB2ObY1HqX/. (Accessed July 3, 2020)

   6-  Paul Jackson, Colin Jordan and Britain’s Neo-Nazi Movement. p.118

    7-  ’20 Arrested in Clashes: National Socialist Leaders Mobbed’, The Times, 2 July. 1962.

    8-  Richard Thurlow, Fascism in Britain. p. 236

   9-   ‘”Nazi” Rally Prosecutions Considered’, The Times, 4 July. 1962.

         10- Ernst Nolte, Three Faces of Fascism: Action Francaise, Italian Fascism, and National Socialism, trans. Leila Vennewitz (New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 1966), p. 421-422