Josephus Alphonsus Marie François (22 May 1901 – 1996) was a Belgian

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

far right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...

politician and Nazi collaborator.

Political career

A native of

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, he first came to politics as a member of the ''

Frontpartij The ''Frontpartij'' (, "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'' wa ...

'', along with the likes of Ward Hermans and

Joris Van Severen Joris Van Severen (19 July 1894 – 20 May 1940) was a Belgian politician and ideologue of the Flemish Movement as well as a Pan-Netherlander. A leading figure of pre-World War II Flemish nationalism, he co-founded the extreme-right group V ...

Philip Rees Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right. Works *'' Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester P ...

, ''

Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 The ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890. It contains entries for what the author regards as "the 500 major figures on the ...

'', 1990, p. 134 In 1931 he joined the likes of Van Severen and Wies Moens in launching

Verdinaso Verdinaso (''Verbond van Dietsche Nationaal-Solidaristen'', ), sometimes rendered as Dinaso, was a small fascist political movement active in Belgium and, to a lesser extent, the Netherlands between 1931 and 1941. Verdinaso was founded by Jori ...

(The Verdinaso (Verbond der Dietse Nationaal-Solidaristen – Union of Diets National Solidarists) was an authoritarian and fascist-inspired political party in Belgium and the Netherlands during the 1930s), and was installed as deputy leader of the group the following year and head of the militia in 1937. François succeeded Van Severen as leader of Verdinaso after Van Severen's murder in the 1940 massacre in Abbeville, taking the movement in a new, pro-

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

direction and merging them into the

Flemish National Union The (, "Flemish National Union" or "Flemish National League"), widely known by its acronym VNV, was a Flemish nationalist political party active in Belgium between 1933 and 1945.

. He commanded the militia group, ''Dietsche Militie'', of this combined organisation. François enrolled in the

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...

(SS), in August 1941 and for a time he was the leader of the Flemish SS.David Littlejohn, ''

The Patriotic Traitors ''The Patriotic Traitors: A History of Collaboration in German-Occupied Europe, 1940–45'' is a book written by David Littlejohn in 1975. It is a history of the Europeans who took part in collaborationism with Nazi Germany. Individual chapters ...

'', London: Heinemann, 1972, p. 155 Seeing action on the Eastern Front, he rose to the rank of

Obersturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Ostuf'') was a Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks, Nazi Germany paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organisations, such as the Sturmabteilung, SA, Schutzstaffel, SS, National Socialist Motor Corps, NSKK and the ...

(First Lieutenant) in the

27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck The Flemish Legion (, ) was a collaborationist military formation recruited among Dutch-speaking volunteers from German-occupied Belgium, notably from Flanders, during World War II. It was formed in the aftermath of the German invasion of the ...

. After the war he was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he was released in 1952. After the war he organised an SS veterans group and was involved on the fringes of the

Vlaamse Militanten Orde The Order of Flemish Militants ( or VMO) – originally the Flemish Militants Organisation (''Vlaamse Militanten Organisatie'') – was a Flemish nationalist activist group in Belgium defending far-right interests by propaganda and political act ...

(a Flemish nationalist activist group in Belgium defending far-right interests by propaganda and political action).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francois, Jef 1901 births 1996 deaths Belgian neo-Nazis Belgian Nazi propagandists Belgian prisoners sentenced to death Prisoners sentenced to death by Belgium Flemish politicians Belgian Waffen-SS personnel SS-Obersturmführer Politicians from Ghent Belgian neo-Nazi propagandists