World Union of National Socialists

The World Union of National Socialists is an organisation founded in 1962 as an umbrella group for neo-Nazi organisations across the globe.

Formation
The movement came about when the leader of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, visited England and met with National Socialist Movement chief Colin Jordan and the two agreed to work towards developing an international link-up between movements. This resulted in the 1962 Cotswold Declaration which was signed by neo-Nazis from the United States, Britain, France (Savitri Devi ), West Germany (Bruno Ludtke ), Austria and Belgium. More member nations would join later throughout the decade including Argentina, Australia, Chile, Ireland, South Africa, Japan and others.

Splits
Following Rockwell's assassination in 1967, control of the WUNS passed to Matt Koehl, who attempted to extend the influence of the group by appointing Danish neo-Nazi Povl Riis-Knudsen as general secretary. However a split began to develop over the insistence of Koehl that Nazism should also serve as a religion, and eventually he broke away from the WUNS to lead his own version of Nazi mysticism. The split fundamentally weakened the WUNS and its influence declined strongly, despite attempts by Jordan to reinvigorate it. After the death of Jordan on April 9, 2009 the leadership of WUNS once again returned to Matt Koehl.

Associated groups
A number of groups have become members of the WUNS or accepted association to the group down the years.

Americas
Given the leadership of Rockwell and Koehl the American Nazi Party and its successor the National Socialist White People's Party were the main constituent groups of the WUNS. In Canada the group was represented by the Canadian Nazi Party, whose leader William John Beattie was chief of the WUNS in the country. They were also active in South America through the Partido Nationalsocialista Chileno, a group set up in Chile by former 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Standartenführer Franz Pfeiffer and the Frente Nacional Socialista Argentino of Argentina was an affiliate group.

Europe
The WUNS was founded in Europe and so the NSM and its successor British Movement were members. Denmark was also an important centre as the National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark, a rump group of the old pre-war movement, affiliated under Sven Salicath, a close follower of Rockwell whilst its replacement, the National Socialist Movement of Denmark, also joined up. Elsewhere in Scandinavia the Nordic Reich Party of Sweden maintained independence but co-operated closely with WUNS nonetheless. and Bernhard Haarde formed a WUNS group in Iceland, claiming around 300 supporters. Bernhard was the brother of future Prime Minister, Geir Haarde. A minor party in the Republic of Ireland, the National Socialist Irish Workers Party, was also affialiated.

Oceania
Both the National Socialist Party of New Zealand and the National Socialist Party of Australia were affiliated to the WUNS.

Current membership
The group currently claims the affiliation of a number of minor movements, many of which appear to be internet only. Those claimed by the WUNS are:
 * Bolivia - Frente de Accion Patriota
 * Bulgaria - The Great Sarmatian Brotherhood
 * Canada - National-Socialist Party of Canada
 * Chile - Movimiento Nacionalsocialista del os Trabajadores Chilenos, Movimiento Gancho del Lobo, IMNS, Troops of Tomorrow Chile Division
 * Costa Rica - Resistencia Ideologica Nacional Socialista de Costa Rica
 * Estonia - Estland88
 * Finland - Suomen Kansallissosialistinen Työväenpuolue, SKSTP-NSFAP
 * France - Mouvement National-Socialiste Français, PHENIX
 * Greece - European Nationalism and Hellenic Nationalism
 * Guatemala - Frente Nacional Socialista de Guatemala
 * Iran - Naska Party
 * Italy - Comunità politica di Avanguardia, Movimento Fascismo e LIbertà
 * Japan - National Socialist Japanese Workers Party
 * Mexico - Mexico National-Socialist Party, Sol Negro
 * Norway - National Socialist Movement of Norway
 * Peru - Tercios Nacional Socialistas, MNSDP
 * Romania - Romanian National Vanguard, Front 14 Romania, Victoria Finala
 * Russia - Russian National Unity
 * Serbia - Rasonalisti Serbia
 * Spain - National Alliance, NuevOrden España
 * Sweden - National Socialist Movement Nordic-Scandinavia Unit, Sveriges Nationella Förbund
 * Ukraine - National Alliance for Freedom Ukrainian Falange, Ukrainian Falange Blog
 * United Kingdom - November 9th Society, British Free Corps, British Peoples Party
 * United States - National Socialist Movement, Final Solution 88
 * Venezuela - Partido NS Venezolano.