About
Léon Degrelle, born in Bouillon, Belgium, was a politician and Nazi collaborator. Founder of the Rexist Party in 1935, he allied with Nazi Germany after the invasion of Belgium. Enlisting in the Walloon Legion, he fought on the Eastern Front and became an SS officer. Sentenced to death in absentia for treason, he fled to Spain where he lived under Franco's protection. After the war, he became an active Holocaust denier and published memoirs justifying his actions.
* 1906-06-15 — † 1994-03-28
Major works
- Hitler pour 1000 ans (1969)memoir
Key milestones
- 1935Founded the Rexist Party, a far-right Catholic movement.
- 1941Enlisted in the Walloon Legion to fight on the Eastern Front.
- 1945Sentenced to death in absentia in Belgium for treason.
Themes
CollaborationFar-right politicsHolocaust denialWorld War IIExile
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov · portal.ehri-project.eu