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'Nasjonal Samling' (Norwegian for "National Gathering" or "National Unity") was a fascist party in Norway, active in the period 1933-45. Founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of sympathisers such as Johan Bernhard Hjort, who was to lead the party's paramilitary wing the Hird for a short time before leaving the party in 1937 after internal conflict. The party was claimed to have been founded on the 17th of May, Norway's national holiday, but was in fact founded several days earlier on the 13th.
While the party failed to muster considerable support in the national and local referendums before the war, it made its mark on Norwegian politics nonetheless. Despite the fact that it never managed to get more than 2.5 percent of the vote, it became a factor by way of polarizing the political scene. All of the established parties in Norway viewed it as an offshoot of German National Socialism, and generally refused to work with it in any way. Several of its marches and rallies before the war were either banned, or marred with violence as working-class activists clashed with the Hird.
A significant trait of the party throughout its existence was a relatively high level of internal conflict. Antisemitism, anti-Masonry and views on religion as well as the party's association with NSDAP and Germany were hotly debated and led to fractioning of the party. At the time World War II broke out the party had been reduced to a political sect with hardly any real activity.
During World War II Norway was occupied by Germany, and NS became official collaborators, forming a puppet government in Norway. After the occupation in April 1940 NS dominated the so called Reichskommissariat under Josef Terboven. The party leader, Quisling, however was controversial in Norway, as well as among the occupants and was denied a formal position until February 1, 1942, when he became minister president in an NS government. Other important ministers were Jonas Lie (also head of the Norwegian wing of the SS from 1941) as minister of police, Dr. Gulbrand Lunde as minister of "popular enlightenment and propaganda", as well as the opera singer Albert Viljam Hagelin as minister Domestic Affairs.
NS was ideologically dominated by strong belief in Lutheranism, national romanticism, authoritarianism and corporatism. It also relied heavily on Nordic symbolism, utilizing Vikings, pre-Christian religion and runes in its propaganda and speeches. Especially important to the party was St. Olav Haraldsson, who is often cited as having introduced Christianity to Norway. The party's symbol, a golden sun cross on a red background, was said to be Olav's symbol, which he painted on his shield.
Though the party had close ties to German National Socialism during the occupation it was more similar to the Italian Fascist Party in terms of ideology. Antisemitism for instance was not a dominant factor until the occupation was a fact (while always present in some form or another).
After the war the party was banned and its members prosecuted as collaborators by the legitimate government. Nearly 50,000 were brought to trial, approximately half of whom received jail penalties. Quisling and a few other high-profile members, and prominent German officials in Norway were executed for war crimes. The sentences' legality has been questioned however, as Norway did not have peacetime capital punishment, and capital punishment for war crimes must be carried out during a war, according to the Norwegian constitution at the time.
Another issue of post-war treatment has been the ongoing Hamsun debate in Norway. The internationally renowned author Knut Hamsun, though never a member was a well known sympathizer. After the war Hamsun was, however, deemed mentally unfit to stand trial and many feel that the issue of his links to the party has never been properly resolved. Hamsun's status as a Nobel Prize laureate and probably the most well known Norwegian author next to Henrik Ibsen also means that his ties to NS is a touchy subject, as many feel his literature should not be marred with constant debate on whether or not Hamsun was a fascist.