Using Lies: Holocaust Denial and the British Far-Right 1943-2001
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THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Using Lies: Holocaust Denial by the British Far Right 1942-2001 Mark James Hobbs Doctor of Philosophy May 2014 This Thesis has been completed as a requirement for a postgraduate research degree of the University of Winchester The word count is: 103,105 THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ABSTRACT OF THESIS Using Lies: Holocaust Denial by the British Far Right 1942-2001 Mark James Hobbs Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Doctor of Philosophy June 2013 This thesis provides a detailed and nuanced analysis of how Holocaust denial was absorbed into British far-right thought and how it was disseminated by different individuals and groups found within that political composition. Drawing on the work of historians and academics who have examined Holocaust denial, I explore both the internal and externalising use of denial within British far right parties and movements and how it served as a ‘history’ for the far right. A ‘history’ which allowed the far-right to make sense of a changing world; serving its ideological belief that a worldwide Jewish conspiracy controlled the past and present. By empirical examination of different publications of far right individuals and groups over a period of nearly sixty years I highlight that while the presentation of denial, and sites of attack on the Holocaust, evolved and changed, the basic sentiments of denial remained fixed. In doing so, the thesis supports the findings of other historians who have studied denial and demonstrated how it is an ideologically driven and mendacious reconstruction of the past. Yet in supporting these findings the thesis questions why - when Holocaust denial has been demonstrated as a false history - Holocaust denial has been presented as such a threat to the historical understanding and memory of the Holocaust by historians and academics. This thesis suggests that new approaches and debates over understanding and studying Holocaust denial are needed. By tracing the progression of denial, in a specific movement, since the end of the Holocaust new, insights are gained by understanding how denial supports the individual ideologies of the groups which propagate it. As such, this thesis makes a timely contribution to both existing knowledge of Holocaust denial and of place of Holocaust denial in academic discourses. 1 Contents 2 Graphs in Thesis 3 Abbreviations 4 Declaration and Copyright Statement 5 Acknowledgements 6 Introduction: Finding Clio, Postmodernism, History and Holocaust denial 7 Part One: Initial Far Right Responses to the Nazi Persecution of the Jews 51 Chapter One: Holocaust Denial in Embryo, Alexander Ratcliffe and Britain 1942-45 52 Chapter Two: Arnold Spenser Leese and the British Far-Right after the Holocaust 96 Part Two: Building Holocaust Denial in the Far Right 139 Chapter Three: Colin Jordan, the Revolutionary Far-Right: the Presentation and Persistence of Holocaust Denial 140 Chapter Four: John Tyndall, Holocaust Denial in the National Front and BNP 182 Part Three: Fighting the Present Using the Past 214 Chapter Five: Understanding David Irving: Holocaust Denial, Far-Right Ideology, History and Society. 215 Conclusion: Clio in Chains: the British Far Right and The (Ab)Use of History 248 Bibliography 262 Appendix One: A Diagram demonstrating the connections between the main figures of the British far right. 280 Appendix Two: An Example of Arnold Leese’s Gothic Ripples. 281 Appendix Three: An example of how Colin Jordan’s National Socialist Movement presented ‘the Hitler was right’ message to the public 282 Appendix Four: Colin Jordan’s ‘Election special’ in Gothic Ripples. 283 2 Graphs in Thesis The graphs below indicate the responses and year of those responses to The British Institute for Public Opinion’s commissioned survey on feeling towards the Jews in society. Fig. 1: Results for 1939 73 Fig. 2: Results for 1940 74 Fig. 3: Results for 1942 74 Fig. 4: Results for 1943 76 Fig. 5: Years combined 76 The graph below indicates the responses given to the following question: Do you think the persecution of Jews in German is an obstacle to good understanding between Britain and Germany? Fig 6: 1938 German persecution of Jews 77 3 Abbreviations ANP American Nazi Party BFF British Freedom Fighters BM British Movement BNP British National Party BPP British Peoples Party BUF British Union of Fascists GBM Greater Britain Movement IFL Imperial Fascist League JHR Journal of Historical Review LEL League of Empire Loyalist NF National Front NNF New National Front NS National Socialist League NSM National Socialist Movement NWM National Workers Movement RPS Racial Preservation Society SPL Scottish Protestant League UM Union Movement WDL White Defence League WUNS World Union of National Socialists 4 Declaration No portion of the work referred to in this Thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. I confirm that this Thesis is entirely my own work. Copyright in text of this Thesis rests with the author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the RKE office University of Winchester. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. Where issues of intellectual property arise, these should be addressed in accordance with the University of Winchester’s Intellectual Property Policy and an appropriate comment defining ownership should be included immediately following the Declaration and Copyright statements listed above. 5 Acknowledgements The completion of this thesis has been made possible with the guidance, assistance and support of a number of individuals and institutions. I must first and foremost thank my supervisor, Professor Tom Lawson, who offered immense help and guided me through what has been intense and challenging subject matter and given me many invaluable insights into the Holocaust historiography and the philosophy of history. My second supervisor, Dr Mark Allen, has provided invaluable help and guidance and provided many important insights into the contexts in which this thesis resides. Furthermore I owe a great deal of thanks to, Dr Colin Haydon and Dr James Jordan, for their helpful comments and feedback. I am also indebted to the University of Winchester for both their three-year scholarship and the support of administrative and academic staff, without which this undertaking would have been impossible. I am also grateful to many individuals outside of the University of Winchester which have offered encouragement and provided valuable advice: my upgrade examiner Dr Gavin Shaffer; Dr Graham Macklin who has given me many helpful insights into British far-right movements. I must also thank other individual professionals, who have provided support, interest or influenced my thoughts in various different academic settings: Professor Cathie Carmichael, Professor Dan Stone, Professor David Cesarani, Dr Olaf Jensen, Dr Paul Behrens, Professor Debórah Dwark, Professor Robert Eaglestone, Professor Omar Bartov and Dr Kasia Person. I would also like to thank the Strassler Centre for Holocaust and Genocide studies for allowing me to present at their second international graduate conference and to Royal Holloway University for their two week residential scholarship. These academic forums provided an excellent environment for academic discussion and allowed me to meet a wide range of academics and students from different disciplines who influenced my thinking. I would also like to thank a number of intuitions which have assisted me on the course of my research: the British Library and Collingdale Centre, Wiener library, National Archives, Mass Observation Archive, University of East Anglia, Senate House Library and the Holocaust Education Trust. Finally, on a personal note, I must thank a number of people who have provided invaluable friendship and company throughout my research. In no particular order my deepest thanks to, Victoria James, Kate Tremain, Clare Harding, George Dickson, Jamie Jaques, Lauren Jaques, Rebecca Lofts, Lorraine Chandler, Holly Bessell, Dan Bessell, Vita Kauzonalite, Mike Innes, Nicola Allen, Emma Brothwood, David Williams, Emily Stiles, and Kara Critchell. Thank you to my family, my sister Susie and my parents, Ann and Nigel, for all their love, guidance and support throughout my life. Thank you to my Uncle John and late Aunt Lorraine Kemp who always provided love support and took care of me as if I were their own. My last words go to Craig Frost, whose love and support brings me immeasurable happiness - thank you, my love. 6 Introduction: Finding Clio, Postmodernism, History and Holocaust denial The study of Holocaust denial has been marked by a tendency to examine it as one cohesive and collective movement. It is clear that Holocaust deniers are united in their desire to mendaciously rewrite history. This desire stems from a need to provide epistemological support to underpin the ideological assumptions of different extremist groups. This reformulation of the past has, as Stern agues, become an international phenomenon: Holocaust denial, in fact, may be the single most potent ideological force tying together a variety of extremists from around the globe—including old Nazis, neo- Nazis,