Vidkun Quisling: Norwegian Fascist Leader and Nazi Collaborator Executed for Treason

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Mar 29, 2026 · 20m

Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian fascist leader and Nazi collaborator, became a symbol of treachery during the Second World War. In the 1930s, he founded the fascist Nasjonal Samling party, promoting authoritarianism, anti-communism, and racial ideology inspired by Nazi Germany. When German forces invaded Norway in April 1940, Quisling infamously declared himself head of government during a radio broadcast—without support from either the Norwegian people or the German high command. Despite his lack of legitimacy, Quisling was later installed by the Nazis as minister-president of occupied Norway…