Anton Adriaan Mussert was born on 11 May 1894 in Werkendam and trained as a civil engineer. His political interests stimulated by the Versailles Treaty, he led a political action committee that eventually forced the resignation of the foreign minister in 1927. He then joined the Dietsche Bond, which advocated an enlarged, Greater Netherlands, incorporating the Flemish and other neighboring groups. Work with other likeminded persons led to his co-founding the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB), the Dutch Nazi Party. Mussert became its first and only leader, and attempted to copy Mussolini, whom he already admired. Although he copied many programs of the Fascists and German Nazis, Mussert's NSB initially eschewed racism and anti-Semitism, but increasing radicalism in the NSB ranks and hopes for German support for his party caused him to reverse himself. Desopite early election successes, Mussert's party was on the decline in 1940, and the German occupation authorities took little interest in it. After four years of collaboration, Mussert had failed and fled Holland, now a member of the NSKK. He was tried after the war and executed by firing squad on May 7,1946.
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