>William Dudley Pelley (March 12, 1890 – June 30, 1965) was an American fascist activist, journalist, writer, and occultist. He was noted for his support of Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler during the Great Depression and Second World War.
>>18391302>Pelley initially gained prominence as a writer, winning two O. Henry Awards and penning screenplays for Hollywood films. His 1929 essay "Seven Minutes in Eternity," published in The American Magazine, was a popular example of what would later be termed a near-death experience and marked a turning point in his career. His antisemitism led him to found the Silver Legion of America in 1933, a fascist paramilitary organization. He ran for president in 1936 as the candidate of his fascist Christian Party.In 1942, the U.S. government prosecuted Pelley for sedition and seditious conspiracy, alleging he conspired to cause insubordination in the military and obstruct recruitment. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Pelley was released on parole in February 1950 under the condition that he cease his political activities.
>In May 1928, Pelley gained notoriety when he claimed he had three[8] out-of-body experiences in which he traveled to other planes of existence devoid of corporeal souls. The first took place while alone in a cabin in Altadena, California.[8] He described this experience in the article "My Seven Minutes in Eternity" (Mind, Inc., May 1929), published in book form in 1933 as Seven Minutes in Eternity: With the Aftermath. In later writings, he described the experience as "hypo-dimensional".[9]The second took place while he was at home in California reading a Ralph Waldo Emerson essay.[8] The third took place in New Mexico, while he was alone in a train car—again reading Emerson.[8] He wrote that during the last event, he met with God and Jesus, who instructed him to undertake the spiritual transformation of America.
>>18391302>The second took place while he was at home in California reading a Ralph Waldo Emerson essay.[8] The third took place in New Mexico, while he was alone in a train car—again reading Emerson.[8] He wrote that during the last event, he met with God and Jesus, who instructed him to undertake the spiritual transformation of America.He later claimed that the experiences gave him the ability to levitate, see through walls, and have out-of-body experiences at will. He also said that they removed his desire for alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine, as well as curing physical ailments such as indigestion.
>When the Great Depression struck America in 1929, Pelley became active in politics. After moving to Asheville, Pelley founded Galahad College in 1932. The college specialized in correspondence courses on "Social Metaphysics" and "Christian Economics". He also founded Galahad Press, which he used to publish various political and metaphysical magazines, newspapers, and books – many of which Pelley claimed to have transcribed from souls in another dimension.[8] The publishing house and college both failed within a year.
>On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany. Pelley, an admirer of Hitler,[4] founded the Silver Legion, an antisemitic organization whose members, known as Silver Shirts and Christian Patriots, wore Nazi-style silver uniform shirts. Their insignia was a scarlet L, emblazoned on their flags and uniforms. They also wore blue neckties, blue corduroy trousers, and puttees.[8] Pelley preferred to be called "Chief" of the Silver Shirts.[8] Biographer Scott Beekman noted that Pelley was "one of the first Americans to create an organization celebrating the work of Adolf Hitler."[4]Pelley traveled throughout the United States, holding recruitment rallies, lectures, and public speeches. He founded Silver Legion chapters in almost every state.[4] Membership peaked at 15,000 in 1935, dropping to below 5,000 by 1938.[2] His political ideology included anti-Communism, antisemitism, patriotism, corporatism, isolationism, and British Israelism. These themes were the primary focus of his numerous magazines and newspapers, which included Liberation, Pelley's Silvershirt Weekly, The Galilean, Silver Legion Ranger,[8] and The New Liberator.
>>18391302I enjoyed it when far right groups actually had their own grass roots movement and unique identity. Now everyone just larps as mid century Germans which is stupid.
>>18392005he was larping as volkist, volkism came from germany and this is where all those beliefs that white people are magic ghost angels and your blood cells carries memories of your ancestors comes from that later nazis and neonazis used
