SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION

C039963 BELGIAN WALLOON REXIST HONOUR BADGE.

BACKGROUND: The Rexist Party was founded in 1930 by Leon Degrelle. He called for the moral renewal by conforming with the teachings of the church by forming a corporatist society and eliminating democracy. During the 1936 elections, the party won over 30% of the popular vote and soon began to ally itself to the NSDAP and incorporate some of it’s Anti-Semitic ideas after Adolf Hitler’s rise. Because of this affiliation, both Italy and Germany gave financial support to the party while the Roman Catholic Church cut ties by the Bishops of Belgium. This led to a members joining an underground resistance against Germany due to the Anti-Semitic beliefs, but also because the original Catholic teachings were being pushed further and further to the background, which was even no longer evident towards the middle of WWII. After Belgium’s invasion by Germany in 1940, the Rexist Party split. Leo Degrelle was arrested as a collaborator and released to the Germans when the occupation began. Upon his return to Belgium, he reconstructed Rexism in close union with the NSDAP. In 1941, he joined and fought as a private in the Wallion Legion of the Wehrmacht against the Soviet Union. The Walloons were transferred from the Wehrmacht to the control of the Waffen SS in 1943, becoming the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien. After being wounded at Cherkasy in 1944, he was made an SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer in 1945 and two months later promoted to SS-Standartenfuhrer. The Honour Badges distributed by the Rexist Party, were instituted in 1941 in four grades; bronze, silver, gold and gold with diamonds. The bronze was awarded to party members in military services and the silver for services to the party. The silver was mostly given to Germans.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A silver badge showing the Walloon Burgundy Cross with a sword up the center. To the outside are ""Bravoure, Hunneur, Fidelite." The reverse has a "C" style hinge with pin and is numbered "449." The backing is hollow and is a mirror image of the front. Shows the expected light age toning, but overall excellent condition.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $1,190.00

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