Frontpartij
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Frontpartij
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|---|---|
| Founder | Adiel de Beuckelaere |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Dissolved | 1933 |
| Preceded by | Frontbeweging Vlaamsche Front |
| Succeeded by | Flemish National Union |
| Newspaper | De Schelde |
| Ideology |
Flemish nationalism Autonomy Socialism (early) Fascism (later) |
| Political position | Left-wing to Far-right |
| Religion | Roman Catholic Church |
The Frontpartij (Dutch; "Front Party") was a Belgian political party that campaigned for increasing recognition for the Flemish people and their language. Originating from the earlier Frontbeweging ("Front Movement"), the Frontpartij was an early attempt to fully politicise the Flemish Movement. In contrast to some of its successor movements the party supported democracy and autonomy rather than authoritarianism and independence.
The group had its origins amongst Dutch-speaking soldiers in the Belgian Army during the First World War who resented the fact that French was the only language of command. Taking the slogan "All for Flanders - Flanders for Christ," it attempted to organise within the army in support of equal language rights. Whilst the group was not anti-Belgian, it scared the generals, who suppressed it.
By summer 1917, the group had re-emerged in secret and, organised by Corporal Adiel de Beuckelaere, this new version, known as the Frontbeweging, set up a structure of representatives and committees across the army. With de Beuckelaere, a Ghent schoolteacher, and other leaders such as Joris Van Severen coming from an intellectual background they attempted to articulate their demands by sending a letter to King Albert calling for a separate Flemish Army and self-government for Flanders within Belgium. However the response of high command was to repress the Frontbeweging more forcefully than before. Kossmann concludes that the German policy of fostering separatism in Flanders was a failure well before the German surrender because it did not win popular support.
The sudden collapse of the German Imperial Army in mid-1918 meant that the Belgian army experienced a rapid advance, leading to confusion and a lack of communication between Frontbeweging members. However, whilst the group's aims had not been met, it reconstituted after the Armistice under the name Vlaamsche Front.
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