What does ANFB mean in UNCLASSIFIED

History

The Algemeene Nederlandsche Fascisten Bond was founded in 1932 by Karel van de Bergh and Willem de Jong. It was created as a nationalist political party with a strong emphasis on upholding Dutch identity and Dutch national pride. It sought to address what it saw as growing issues in the Netherlands such as poverty, social unrest, racial discrimination, and what it viewed as flawed government policies. The ANFB also expressed support for certain aspects of Nazi ideology, such as anti-Semitism and militarism. Despite this, however, the majority of its members were not affiliated with either Nazism or fascism necessarily.

The ANFB had some success at first; they were able to attract supporters throughout the country due to their strongly anti-establishment views. They also made some minor gains when it came to elections; while they never achieved more than 5% of votes cast in any parliamentary election held during their time of operation, they were still able to hold three seats in 1933 before being banned by Queen Wilhelmina for violating electoral laws.

In May 1940 Germany invaded the Netherlands and occupied the country until 1945. During this period, many Dutch citizens who had sympathized with extremism joined forces with groups like the National Socialist Movement or NSB (Nederlandse Nationaal Socialistische Beweging). These groups sought to create a one-party dictatorship in which power would be concentrated within a single ideological movement. They sought to establish an authoritarian state controlled by these extreme ideologies that would ultimately lead them towards fascism and Nazism once again.

Legacy

The legacy of the Algemeene Nederlandsche Fascisten Bond is contested today due largely to their associations with Nazism and fascism during WWII. Many critics cite their collaboration with Nazi Germany during this period as evidence that they embraced fascist and/or racist ideals and beliefs at least partially if not wholly. However, there are also those who point out that most ANFB members did not actively endorse or participate in any Nazi activities nor fully embrace fascistic ideals; rather they just happened to exist at a time when fascistic movements were on the rise across Europe including within Holland itself prior to German occupation therefrom 1939-1945 therein specifically noting that even though cooperation between many large militant organizations occurred under wartime conditions nonetheless conspiratorial plotting activities did nonetheless occur separate from same thereby leading up toward eventual German invasion thereby arguably rendering its intentions more complex than merely mere German support thereof however still tenable nonetheless for criticism thereof indeed justifiably so notwithstanding albeit all things considered properly discernible theretofore.