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Degrelle, Léon

The Oxford Companion to World War II | 2001 | 688 words | Copyright

Degrelle, Léon (1906–94),leader of a group of young Belgian Catholics who formed the anti-democratic Rexist movement in the 1930s. An ebullient, charismatic figure, he opted for collaboration after the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940 (see FALL GELB). In 1941, he formed and served in the Légion Wallonie which fought with the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. He negotiated the Légion's transfer to the Waffen-SS in 1943 and was awarded several military decorations, including the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He fled to Spain in 1945 where, despite being condemned to death in absentia by a Belgian court, he lived in exile until his death.

Martin Conway

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I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Degrelle, Léon." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Degrelle, Léon." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-DegrelleLon.html

I. C. B. DEAR and M. R. D. FOOT. " Degrelle, Léon." The Oxford Companion to World War II. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O129-DegrelleLon.html

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