Quisling

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Quisling, after Norwegian fascist politician Vidkun Quisling, is a term used to describe traitors and collaborationists. It was most commonly used for fascist political parties and military and paramilitary forces in occupied Allied countries which collaborated with Axis occupiers in World War II Europe, as well as for their members and other collaborators.

That Quisling's name should be applied to denote the whole phenomenon of collaborationism is probably due to the place of Norway on the list of countries occupied by the Third Reich. There were few Polish collaborators, other than the Volksdeutsche, and Denmark fell within a few hours. Thus, Norway was the first country where local, non-German, fascist parties took a part in the conquest of the country.

In contemporary usage, "Quisling" is synonymous with "traitor", and particularly applied to politicians who appear to favour the interests of other nations or cultures over their own.

[edit] In popular culture

In a wartime Norwegian cartoon, "Audience with Hitler", Quisling says: "I am Quisling", and Hitler replies: "And the name?". [1]

In John Steinbeck's novel/play The Moon Is Down, written for the OSS as propaganda to encourage resistance efforts and underground movements, there is a Quisling character named George Corell.

In Max Brook's novel World War Z, "quisling" refers to a human that has begun acting like a zombie. These humans are traitors and will attack other humans mindlessly, but will not fight zombies despite zombies attacking quislings.

In an episode of the television series House, House jokes angrily with Cuddy saying, "You know, there is a new biography on Quisling you might find interesting." Though Cuddy doesn't understand, requiring House to explain and spoiling the joke.

In an episode of the British TV series "Filthy, Rich and Catflap," Richie Rich calls the milkman "Quisling" while accusing him of carrying knowledge that could "put back the British game show 50 years."

In the board game Renegade Legion: Interceptor, there is a character named "Ronald Quisling" who is an ingratiating but traitorous man, who seeks to backstab and replace his commanding officer.

In the 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon Tom Turk and Daffy, on Thanksgiving Day, Daffy Duck at first hides the turkey from Porky Pig and then tells Porky where the turkey is. The turkey hears this betrayal, turns toward the audience and simply says, "Quisling!"

In the second full verse of the Elvis Costello song, "Green Shirt" there is the lyric, "Cause somewhere in the Quisling clinic/Theres a shorthand typist taking seconds over minutes."

[edit] Quislings in World War II Europe

Quisling forces were formed in most occupied European countries. They were used by the Axis to control the local population and free German forces for major military operations against Allies. However, as they were unpopular, German forces had to stay behind anyway.

European Quisling organizations of World War II included:

Germany's early central European conquests: