My friend - Hitler: The most famous fans of Nazism

July 30, 1938 the famous American industrialist and father of the modern automobile industry, Henry Ford was awarded the Order of Merit of the German Eagle - the highest of all possible awards for foreigners is awarded in the Third Reich. This award has been marked not only by the contribution of the Ford in the global industry, but also to support the activities of the German Nazis and his sympathy for them.

Many celebrities of those years felt sympathy for Hitler, Nazi Germany and National Socialism. It is worth noting that although at the time was not yet aware of the many crimes committed by the regime, however, even at that time Hitler was considered an odious figure, and very ambiguous. Life remembered most famous fans of the Third Reich and Adolf Hitler among the foreign celebrities.

Henry Ford

Father global motorization in his spare time liked to expose a worldwide Jewish conspiracy. Great impression on him made the October Revolution in Russia, which led the Bolsheviks to power. He considered it her machinations behind the scenes of the world of Jewish and has acquired a little-known newspaper The Dearborn Independent which began publishing excerpts from "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and articles exposing the "true nature of the Jews." Newspaper circulation has been increased to more than half a million copies, making it become one of the most widely read American newspapers of the time.

Will not rest on this, Ford has published a collection of articles from the newspaper in a special book "The International Jew", which was also published large enough quantities. Followed came three more books about the secret and insidious activities of Jews in the United States. Publication of articles and books have caused a wide public response, Ford criticized various public organizations, Christian churches, prominent politicians sent him an open letter condemning his views. Public Jewish organizations called on all Jews to boycott Ford products. Finally, when public pressure was so great that it became a threat to its thriving business, Ford has publicly apologized and repented for it unleashed a campaign in the press and promised not to do it. But his books have already reached mass circulation in Europe, especially in Germany, where they became the favorite reading of the future activists of the NSDAP (Nazi Party led by Hitler).

It is known that Hitler himself was very respectful to Ford, who was one of the few Americans who are praised in the Third Reich. Also, a number of sources can be found the statement that financial support for Ford contributed to the establishment and strengthening of the Nazi Party in the 20s. On an interview with American journalists have not yet come to power, Adolf Hitler set in his office a portrait of Ford, to show how much respect he refers to it.

, Ford was awarded the highest award of the Reich for foreigners, and when France was occupied by the Germans, the Ford plant was not nationalized them as a sign of respect and continued his work. Several Ford factories opened in Germany for the Nazis, they continued to work throughout the war.

After the war: during the war, Ford withdrew from the cases because of serious illness, and he soon died after the war. His successors had to repeatedly apologize for the views of the Ford. Until now, they finance various Jewish community organizations in the sign of repentance for the deeds of their ancestors. For example, the famous movie "Schindler's List" was partly funded by them.

Charles Lindbergh

The legendary aviator, who was in the status of a world star. Universal fame and popularity he brought a flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. Flying from New York - Paris, he became the first man in history who alone could make a transatlantic flight. Thanks to this achievement, he became one of the most popular people, not only in America but also in Europe. After the flight, he made a tour of major cities, where he was met by hundreds of thousands of people, its popularity can only be compared with the popularity of the first cosmonauts, because he has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to link distant continents by air.

In the 30 years Lindberg gradually began to sympathize with the American ultra-right movements. After the scandalous case of the abduction and murder of his son polutoragodovalogo, which caused an unprecedented media attention (at present it is believed that executed was innocent), he moved to Europe, where he began to openly sympathize recently came to power in Germany the Nazis. At the request of the US government Lindbergh traveled to Germany, to evaluate its aviation industry.

The Reich aviator greeted as a national hero. He was invited to the opening of the Olympic Games in Berlin, where he was standing next to Hitler and Goering Reichsmarschall aviation Herman personally awarded him the Order of the German Eagle. Report on the German aircraft industry was full of enthusiasm, together with clear sympathies for the Nazi regime of the Lindbergh, drew sharp criticism in his address to the United States and the decline in popularity.

On the eve of the Second World War he campaigned the American public to speak out against the war, saying that Americans want to be drawn into a war with the Germans, the Jews, who had infiltrated the government and the media. However, because of their views aviator lost the remnants of its former popularity, the press, before turning it into a hero, and now declared him a traitor Judas worse.

Due to the obvious sympathy for the Germans, Lindbergh was denied enrollment in the Air Force with the beginning of World War II, although he requested the service. It took to his already mentioned above, Henry Ford, inviting him to be a consultant on its aircraft factory. After the war: Lindbergh was allowed to become a consultant to the Air Force, and he was even given the rank of general. He did not apologize for his earlier views, saying that journalists are simply misinterpreted his statements. He focused on the protection of animals and moved to Hawaii, where he died in 1976 at age 72.

Knut Hamsun

The most famous Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize for Literature. For Norwegian Literature Knut Hamsun is the same as that for the Russian - Pushkin, Gogol, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky together. Hamsun is not only the pride of Norwegian literature and one of the most popular writers of his time, but also along with Ibsen actually the founder of modern national literature of this country.

Hamsun from the outset was a convinced Germanophile and welcomed the Nazi rise to power. The writer and his family made a trip to Germany, where he was received very well that he liked. In Berlin, were honored 75-year-old living classic, from this point on Hamsun was in correspondence with many leaders of the Reich and became a preacher of German ideas. He often had ever justify the press some things that provoked condemnation in other countries. For example, he defended the Nazis had arrested pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, a Nobel Peace Prize, supported by those of almost all European writers. After that most of their colleagues turned against Norwegian.

During the occupation of Norway by German forces Hamsun campaigned in favor of the Norwegian collaborationist government, and called on Norwegians not to resist the occupation. During the war Hamsun traveled to Germany and met Hitler. Goebbels, he gave his medal Nobel Prize winner, saying: "I have nothing more valuable than this medal, so I give it to you." Hamsun's son volunteered for the SS regiment war correspondents "Kurt Eggers". In the last days of the war, when the fate of Germany was already evident and Hitler committed suicide, Hamsun responded to his death rather complementary obituary, calling him a great fighter for the rights of peoples, although well aware that it will only worsen its position in the post-war Europe.

After the war the majority of the active members of the collaborationist regime in Norway were severely punished by the victors, but Hamsun escaped punishment. According to some sources, the fate of the writer decided in Moscow, the Soviet leaders, some of whom grew up on the books Hamsun, popular in the days of their youth, have insisted that the great writer was not too severely punished. Hamsun did not give up their beliefs, he refused to apologize and nothing had repented. However, at the trial although it was found guilty of collaboration, but only sentenced to a fine. He died in 1952, having to write another book. It is now considered a classic and one of the most outstanding masters of Norwegian literature. In 2009, the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the writer in Norway led to protests in Israel.

Ingvar Kamprad

Unlike most heroes material Kamprad was sympathetic to the Reich at the time when he was an unknown young man. The future founder of the transnational mega-corporations "IKEA" and one of the richest people in the world in his youth was an activist of the Swedish socialist meeting - the Nazi Party, which imitated the German brethren in everything, even its program almost exactly copied the program of the German National Socialists. Kamprad was not a prominent figure in the party due to the early childhood, doing only recruit to the party of their peers. It was at this time, and Kamprad founded the company, which was later transformed into IKEA, the money received from his father. After the war: Kamprad wisely silent about the Nazi past. It has become known only in the 90s, when journalists unearthed in the archives of materials that the richest Swede in his youth was active in the Nazi Party. Kamprad publicly apologized for it and called the Nazi party membership a mistake of youth, adding that much regrets this and promised to allocate $ 100 million to charity. Nevertheless, he still respects to one of the leaders of the Swedish far right of those years Peru Engdahl.

Edward VIII of

The king of Britain, paid the price for the throne of sympathy for Nazi Germany. Edward headed to Britain before the war, went in 1936, but after 327 days, he suddenly said to abdicate and leave the country. The official pretext for the denial was his intention to marry a divorced American Wallis Simpson, which allegedly contradicted the unwritten traditions of the royal family. However, in reality, Edward would marry her, there was plenty of opportunities to the marriage took place and did not violate any regulations. Moreover, that he did not plan to do it the Queen, intending to enter into a morganatic marriage. However, even before the formal coronation of Edward suddenly he announced his abdication and fled the country.

In fact, the reason for the overthrow of the (let's call things by their real names) were the monarch of his excessive sympathy for the Germans. Germany has been an important strategic enemy of Britain and in the interests of the empire was a war with the Germans, while Edward was determined to clearly pro-German. He refused to speak out against the occupation of the Rhineland by the Germans, which was a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, and supported Mussolini's aggression against Ethiopia. During a visit to Germany, he greeted the people on the streets of the Nazi salute. The sympathies of the king entered into the apparent contradiction with the national interests, what they saw government. Without waiting for his coronation, which would make it a full-fledged king, the government with the support of Edward's brothers, in fact committed a coup to remove him from office in favor of one of his relatives. He was forced to sign a written renunciation Churchill, blocked his attempts to appeal to the nation with a call on the radio and do not the next day after the abdication was expelled from the country with the prohibition to return. In order not to damage the image of the government, the coup was designed as a voluntary abdication of the monarch for the sake of the woman he loved.

However, the exiled ex-king continued to be friends with the Nazis in Europe, it is now open. Moreover, in the beginning of the war, he sympathized with the Germans, giving in this regard a number of interviews. There were serious concerns that if the British capture by the Nazis, Hitler will return to the throne friendly tuned to it Edward, so in 1940 the ex-monarch and his wife were arrested and forcibly taken to the Bahamas on a British ship. There Edward formally served as governor, but it was more like a link under the strict supervision of the oversight of him governor-general.

After the war was allowed Eduardo to return to Europe, but not in Britain, which he was allowed to visit only for the sake of his brother's funeral after nearly 20 years of exile. Nazi sympathies Edward never advertised to disguise them, as well as a coup d'état, the British propaganda actively used the romantic melodrama, which has always served only one version of his abdication and departure - love for a woman. On this subject have been removed dozens of films and hundreds of books have been written and now millions of women admire a handsome prince, renounced the royal throne for the love of a simple woman.

Sir Oswald Mosley

British aristocrat and one of the youngest deputies in the history of Britain. Mosley was born in an old aristocratic family, she received an excellent education, participated in World War I, which greatly hurt his leg. After the war he joined the konsvervatoram, becoming a deputy in '22. However, because of his youth was not taken seriously by many colleagues, which is why left the party and joined the Labor Party.

He married the daughter of one of the major British politicians, the Foreign Minister Curzon. At the wedding Mosley attended the cream of European ariktokratii, the Belgian king to the British. Youth, veteran status, origin and profitable wedding drew before him a bright future, and by joining the Labor Party, he after a while, even though able to achieve third-rate, but still post in the government. Soon, however, he finally gave up all political trends. The outbreak of the Great Depression clearly demonstrated all the flaws of capitalism, which left Mosley countered unacceptable for communism, and the right - fascism. This fresh and original for Mosley and interested in the 30 years he was the founder, ideologist of the British Union of Fascists.

After his first wife's death Mosley newly married British aristocrat Diana Mitford, who became his faithful companion for many years. Mitford admired Germany and moved there to live. She was friends with Magda Gebbeels and was familiar with all the leaders of the Reich, by entering into this circle and Mosley. Their wedding took place in the house of Goebbels, her present Hitler himself, who gave the newlyweds quite modest gift - your own photo in the frame of silver.

Meanwhile, the British fascists tried to copy the tactics of European allies. They created the martial storm troopers participated in street clashes with political opponents. They strongly supported the actions of Germany and Italy in Europe and North Africa, which clearly was at odds with the state of British politics. Shortly after the outbreak of war with Germany, the party was banned, and the entire leadership arrested. Mitford Mosley and spent several years in detention. Mosley was released in 1943 because of the worsening of the disease is a consequence of injury to the fronts of the First World. After the war organized the ultra-right union movement, which, however, did not enjoy serious popularity. He campaigned for the unification of Western Europe in the face of the communist threat. In the early 60's walked away from politics. He died in 1980.

Sven Hedin

One of the most famous traveler and geographer of his time. In the period between the two world wars of the book Stein out millions of copies worldwide. Is the last in the history of the Swede, received a knighthood.

Hedin repeatedly led large expeditions to Asia, publishing essays on them, which were very popular with readers. Although Hedin lived in neutral Sweden, to stay away from both world wars, it did not prevent him from being a passionate Germanophile and fully support the Germans in the first and in the second war. He wrote articles praising Germany, he admired Hitler and during the war, personally met with the entire leadership of Nazi Germany, what has left memories. Like many other foreign sympathizers Reich was awarded the Order of Merit of the German Eagle. I wrote a heartfelt obituary of Hitler's death.

After the war did not deny that he always sympathized with the Germans, but claimed that he was a conservative, traditionalist, far from National Socialism. It is also argued that a good relationship with the Germans allowed him to save a few people from the concentration camps. He died in 1952.

Ingmar Bergman

One of the most celebrated filmmakers of the twentieth century in his youth was an ardent admirer of Hitler. As a young man, he had been in pre-war Germany for cultural youth exchange program. There he attended the speech of Hitler, which stunned him and made a tremendous impression. For several years, Bergman became a fan of the German Fuhrer. In addition, Hitler empathized and Bergman's father. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that he ever was active in the Nazi movement. After the war: Bergman became a great director, one of the main people in the culture of the twentieth century. Because he never campaigned for National Socialism and Hitler loved silence, he had no chance to be persecuted after the war. He lived a long life and died in 2007.