VNV
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VNV or Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (Flemish National Union) was a flamingant party in the '30s.
It was founded by Staf de Clerq on October 8, 1933, who was called the Leader.
Its major target was to unite the many flamingant parties in Belgium in the '20s and '30s in just one movement. He finally succeeded in 1933, and the main objectives were the installation of a unified Dutch state, called Dietsland.
Along the way, it became more and more authoritarian in its appearance, and it quickly became a fascist movement, in spite of its large fraction of democratic elements.
When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1940, de Clerq immediately chose their side, despite previous declarations that he would not collaborate should this situation occur.
Hitler chose not to install a civil governement like in the Netherlands, but instead installed a military government in Belgium, headed by Alexander von Falkenhausen of the Wehrmacht. This marginalized the VNV, which, in order to gain influence in the Third Reich, intensified its collaboration. Hitler and Himmler understood this very well, and increased the stakes by founding some more extreme collaborationist groups like the General SS Flanders and the DeVlag, the German-Flemish Workers Community.
Staf de Clerq died suddenly in October 1942, and was succeeded by Hendrik Elias, a member of the more moderate side. Unsuspected, Elias continued the collaboration, but tried to come in terms with the military governement, in order to prevent the installation of a civil governement, which would be composed of Nazis. Elias failed, as Hitler installed a civil governement and declared the annexation of Flanders by the Third Reich in 1944. Seven weeks later, Belgium had been liberated by the Allies.
After the war, the VNV was prohibited, and Hendrik Elias was put in prison.