The Swiss Patriotic Federation ( (SVV); ; (FPS)) was a

right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...

political organisation in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

between 1919 and 1948.

History

The SVV was set up on 5 April 1919 by

Eugen Bircher Eugen Bircher (17 February 1882 – 20 October 1956) was a Swiss politician and military leader who became associated with a pro-German position in the inter-war years. Military and political career Bircher came to prominence in the army whe ...

as a reaction to the Swiss general strike of 1918 and violent and bloody revolutions and suppressions of these revolutions in nearby regions across the border. It also acted to oppose 'international emigration', which in effect became

anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

, with the group holding ''

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' is a fabricated text purporting to detail a Jewish plot for global domination. Largely plagiarized from several earlier sources, it was first published in Imperial Russia in 1903, translated into multip ...

'' as fact, alongside a similar work ''Aufklärung zur Flüchtlingsfrage'' (''Shedding Light on the Refugee Question''). Bircher's position as a colonel in the

Swiss Army The Swiss Armed Forces (; ; ; ; ) are the military and security force of Switzerland, consisting of land and air service branches. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are ...

was such that he was able to bring many high-ranking officers in to the SVV, including General of the

Swiss Armed Forces The Swiss Armed Forces (; ; ; ; ) are the military and security force of Switzerland, consisting of land and air service branches. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are ...

Henri Guisan Henri Guisan (; 21 October 1874 – 7 April 1960) was a Swiss military officer who held the office of General of the Swiss Armed Forces during the Second World War. He was the fourth and the most recent person to be appointed to the rarely u ...

. Although not specifically

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

in its outlook, it nonetheless sought to maintain cordial relations with

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 ...

. It was effectively open in its existence, but its membership was largely a closely guarded secret and as such the group became influential in driving government policy. Its influence was such that it was the only organisation with Nazi sympathies that was not closed down by the

Swiss Federal Council The Federal Council is the federal cabinet of the Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the Federal Council is by convention a permanent grand co ...

in 1945. It was not dissolved until after it got caught up in a

bribe Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official duty, to act contrar ...

ry scandal in 1948.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schweizerischer Vaterlandischer Verband Far-right politics in Switzerland Anti-immigration politics in Europe Antisemitism in Switzerland Political organisations based in Switzerland Organizations established in 1919 Organizations disestablished in 1948 1919 establishments in Switzerland 1948 establishments in Switzerland