Alexander Raven Thomson facts for kids

Alexander Raven Thomson, a Scottish politician and writer.

Alexander Raven Thomson (born December 3, 1899 – died October 30, 1955) was a Scottish politician and thinker. He was often called Raven. He joined the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1933. He stayed a supporter of Oswald Mosley, the leader of the BUF, for his whole life. Thomson was seen as the main idea-maker for the party.

Early Life and Ideas

Thomson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His family was well-known in Scottish public life. His grandfather was a famous architect named Alexander Thomson. Alexander Raven Thomson studied mechanical engineering, science, and philosophy. He went to universities in Scotland, the United States, and Germany.

Starting His Career

In 1926, Thomson became a partner in an engineering company in London. This company made silver paper. He had learned how to do this in Germany. While studying in Germany, he met and married Lisbeth Röntgen. She was the daughter of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered X-rays. They had three children together.

Political Beginnings

Thomson first joined the Communist Party of Great Britain. However, he did not stay there long. He disagreed with some of their main ideas. He started to believe more in a system called corporatism. This is where different groups in society work together for the good of everyone.

Thomson became an expert on the writings of Oswald Spengler. In 1932, he wrote a book called Civilization as Divine Superman. In this book, he disagreed with Spengler's ideas that civilizations would naturally decline. Thomson believed that decline could be stopped. He thought this could happen if capitalism was replaced with collectivism. Collectivism means focusing on the group rather than just individuals.

Joining the British Union of Fascists

In 1933, Thomson joined the British Union of Fascists (BUF). He quickly became the Director of Policy. In this role, he was the main thinker for the party. He worked closely with Oswald Mosley, the leader, and Neil Francis Hawkins.

Developing BUF Policies

Thomson wrote an important book for the BUF called The Corporate State. This book explained how a BUF government would work in Britain. He imagined 20 special groups, called corporations. Each group would control a different part of the economy. These groups would also connect to a National Corporation, which would act as the government.

In these corporations, employers, workers, and consumers would have equal say. Elections for these corporations would replace regular political elections. In 1935, Thomson went on a speaking tour in Scotland. He wanted to share the fascist message. However, many of his talks were interrupted by people who disagreed with him.

Growing Influence in the BUF

Thomson became a very important person in the BUF. In 1937, he ran in local elections in Bethnal Green. He got a good number of votes, showing the BUF's growing support. His position in the party was now strong. In 1939, he became the editor of the party's weekly newspaper, Action.

Thomson also served as Mosley's representative in Germany for a time. He admired Nazi Germany and shared their strong anti-Semitism. He visited Nazi Germany five times. He was part of a BUF group that went to the 1933 Nuremberg Rally. Even though he was a public face of the BUF, he once told The Jewish Chronicle newspaper in 1934 that the group had no special dislike for Jewish people.

Mosley respected Thomson's intelligence. He called him an "honest man and devoted patriot." Thomson believed that a United Ireland would happen under fascism. He thought this political idea was more natural for native Celtic culture.

World War II and Imprisonment

After World War II started, Thomson, like many other BUF leaders, was arrested in May 1940. He was held in Brixton Prison for most of the war. He was released in 1944. Being in prison was very hard for him, and he suffered a nervous breakdown.

After the War: Union Movement

After his release, Thomson helped spread Mosley's ideas. He set up book clubs across Britain. These clubs were also used to plan the future of Mosley's politics after the war. He also started a group called the Union of British Freemen. This group tried to bring together former BUF members.

Joining the Union Movement

In 1948, Thomson joined the Union Movement when it was founded. He became a key leader in this new party. He was both the general secretary and the editor of the party's newspaper, Union. Thomson played a big part in shaping the ideas of the Union Movement. He first supported the idea of a "Europe a Nation." This idea suggested that European countries should unite.

Later, he argued for a "left-wing fascist" approach. He believed the Union Movement should try to get support from working-class people. He thought they should use anticapitalist ideas to do this.

International Connections

Thomson was also important for the Union Movement's international connections. In 1949, he went to Spain to try and get support for Mosley there. His international reputation grew in 1952. He was asked to join the editorial board of the important Nation Europa magazine. He also helped publish a book called Advance to Barbarism, which looked at Second World War history in a new way. He wrote for The European, a magazine edited by Diana Mosley.

Thomson continued to be a leading figure in the Union Movement until he died in 1955 from cancer. His funeral was held in Shoreditch, London.

|