National Front (Switzerland)

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The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.

The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of Nazi Germany had become popular. A number of these groups (all of which co-operated in a loose federation known as the New Front) were formally brought together in 1930 to form the National Front under the leadership of Hans Vonwyl.

Initially the party did not grow far outside the confines of the University but soon the party newspaper, Der Eiserne Besen (The Iron Broom), became widely read and its anti-Semitic message found an audience. Initially bearing some of the hallmarks of Austrian National Socialism, they absorbed the New Front in 1933 and moved to a more orthodox fascism. The party continued to grow and soon won seats on Zürich council, as well as the support of well-known Swiss writers of the time, such as Jakob Schaffner. They did not come out completely in favour of any regime and instead sought to unite German, French and Italian speakers in a common Swiss identity (they maintained links with a minor Romansh far right group, although the National Front did not campaign amongst the Romansh).

Taking advantage of the direct democracy model used in Swiss politics the National Front forced a referendum on a constitutional amendment in 1935 that sought to redesign the system of government on more nationalist, racial and authoritarian lines. The proposal was heavily defeated and soon the party began to go into decline. Revelations followed regarding allegations of funding from Germany, leading to many members leaving over what they saw as a compromise of Swiss independence. By 1939 the party had lost all of its seats in its previous stronghold of Zürich. In 1940 the party was formally dissolved after Robert Tobler, who by then had replaced Vonwyl as leader, was briefly imprisoned for espionage. Minor party organisations carried on, although all of these were gone by 1943.

The Partei National Orientierter Schweizer founded in 2000 is a successor organisation of the National Front.