Back Ossewabrandwag Afrikaans أوسيوابراندواغ Arabic Ossewabrandwag Catalan Ossewabrandwag German Ossewabrandwag Finnish Ossewabrandwag French Ossewabrandwag Italian 오서바브란트바흐 Korean Ossewabrandwag Dutch Ossewabrandwag Polish
 Seal of the Ossewabrandwag | |
| Formation | 4 February 1939 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1952 |
| Purpose | Afrikaner nationalism Opposition to participation in World War II Anti-British sentiment Pro-German sentiment |
| Headquarters | Bloemfontein, Union of South Africa |
| Membership | 350,000 (1941) |
Leader | Johannes Van Rensburg |
The Ossewabrandwag (OB) (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈɔsəˌvɑːˌbrantvaχ], from Afrikaans: ossewa, lit. 'ox-wagon' and Afrikaans: brandwag, lit. 'guard, picket, sentinel, sentry' - Ox-wagon Sentinel) was a pro-Nazi Afrikaner nationalist organization with strong ties to National Socialism, founded in South Africa in Bloemfontein on 4 February 1939. It was strongly opposed to South African participation in World War II and vocally supportive of Nazi Germany.[1] In late 1940, the Ossewabrandwag plotted a pro-German insurrection against Prime Minister Jan Smuts, albeit the plan was aborted.[2]
The OB carried out a campaign of sabotage against state infrastructure, resulting in a government crackdown. The unpopularity of that crackdown has been proposed as a contributing factor to the victory of the National Party in the 1948 South African general election and the rise of apartheid.
- ^ The “Ossewabrandwag” is founded, 30 September 2019
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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