American Nazi Party in the 1960s
The American Nazi Party (ANP), founded by George Lincoln Rockwell in 1958, was a far-right organization that gained notoriety in the 1960s for its racist ideology and provocative actions. Rockwell, inspired by Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and influenced by figures like Senator Joseph McCarthy, espoused anti-Semitic beliefs and viewed an "international Jewish-Communist conspiracy" as the root of societal issues. Throughout the decade, the ANP engaged in public demonstrations and counter-protests, often clashing with civil rights activists and anti-war demonstrators, utilizing uniforms reminiscent of Nazi Germany.
Despite having a relatively small membership, the ANP’s activities attracted significant media attention, which, in turn, galvanized opposition from various civil rights groups and activists. Rockwell's leadership came to a violent end in 1967 when he was assassinated by a former member, resulting in a decline of the party's influence. After his death, the organization struggled to maintain its visibility and ultimately faded, though splinter groups continued to exist for some time. The ANP's legacy is primarily marked by the revulsion it inspired in the broader American public, and its later implications in free speech debates, such as the controversial 1977 Skokie rally, reflect ongoing tensions surrounding hate speech and civil rights.
American Nazi Party in the 1960s
A white supremacist organization primarily attacking Jewish Americans. The American Nazi Party achieved notoriety through extreme pronouncements on an international “Jewish-Communist conspiracy,” displays of Nazi regalia, and street violence.
Origins and History
After being introduced to racist writings while in the Navy in San Diego, George Lincoln Rockwell (born in 1918, the son of a vaudeville comedian) read Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf (1925) and was riveted by Hitler’s ideas. In 1958, after moving to Arlington, Virginia, he founded the American Nazi Party. Rockwell, influenced by people such as the anticommunist crusader Senator Joseph McCarthy and the fundamentalist preacher Gerald L. K. Smith, believed that the source of all political evil was an international Jewish-Communist conspiracy (which he referred to as “the Hebes in Moscow”) that was itself responsible for such things as the Arab-Israeli War, the American Civil Rights movement, and the “mongrelization” of white people. Rockwell predicted that after a depression in 1969, he would be elected president by a United States grateful for the economic, political, social, racial, and spiritual programs of the National Socialists. He advocated killing Jews and sending American blacks to Africa as methods for “saving” the white race. Rockwell considered other radical right organizations, such as the John Birch Society, too liberal. In 1967, the organization adopted the name National Socialist’s White People’s Party an act intended to broaden its appeal.
Activities
Underfunded, though well publicized, Rockwell and his followers dressed as storm troopers complete with swastikas took part in street brawls and counter-demonstrations, primarily against civil rights. They followed and harassed Freedom Riders through the south in a “hate bus,” disturbed the peace outside civil rights meetings, marched against Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fair-housing drive in Chicago, attacked antiwar demonstrators protesting in Washington, D.C., picketed the White House, and staged various racist rallies. Enough attempts on Rockwell’s life failed that he considered himself bulletproof. Finally, on August 25, 1967, John Patler, a former member of the American Nazi Party who had been minister of propaganda and editor of The Stormtrooper Magazine, shot and killed Rockwell in a laundry’s parking lot. His last words were said to be, “I forgot the bleach.” Party secretary Matt Koehl succeeded Rockwell as commander.
Impact
With a membership usually estimated to be between twenty and one hundred, the American Nazi Party still made its presence known through the antics of Rockwell, dubbed the “Halfpenny Hitler.” The American Nazi Party’s greatest impact was the galvanization of its opposition; few people viewed their presence and activities with anything except revulsion. After Rockwell’s death, the organization faded, although offspring organizations continued to exist for several decades.
Subsequent Events
In 1977, Frank Collin, a former member of the American Nazi Party and member of a group calling itself the National Socialist Party of America, fought for and received a permit to hold a rally in Skokie, Illinois (a Chicago suburb with a large population of American Jews). The American Civil Liberties Union, viewing the request as an issue of free speech, helped defend Collin’s right to secure the permit. The march, however, was never staged.
Additional Information
In 1995, Frederick J. Simonelli published American Fuehrer: George Lincoln Rockwell and the American Nazi Party; the book provides a thorough discussion as well as bibliographical references.