Atomwaffen Division

The Atomwaffen Division (Atomwaffen meaning "nuclear weapons" in German), also known as the National Socialist Resistance Front is an international National Socialist and Nationalist network that was formed in 2013 and was based in the Southern United States; it has since expanded across the United States and into the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, the Baltic states, and other European countries, collaborating with several other groups.

It has received significant criticism within the wider Fascist movement and was demonized by the press at least in part because of some of its members adherence to ONA Satanism, drug use, Esoteric Hitlerist beliefs and, possibly, rape.

Its members have been either jailed, left the group or became members of other groups such as The Base or, later, NSC-131. It remains active still, however.

The Atomwaffen Division has been accused of being Federal Agents (either funded by, made by, run by or directed by) due to its murders, racial attacks and other sort of illegal actions and activities, among which lighter ones such as putting up posters.

History

In 2015, the group's creation was announced by founding member Brandon Russell, on the National Socialist web forum IronMarch.org, which, prior to its shutdown in 2017, had been linked to different militant groups such as the Nordic Resistance Movement, National Action, Casapound, and Golden Dawn. In its initial posts, the group described itself as a "very fanatical, ideological band of comrades who do both activism and militant training. Hand to hand, arms training, and various other forms of training. As for activism, we spread awareness in the real world through unconventional means."

The group's membership is mostly young, having also recruited new members on university campuses. Its campus recruitment poster campaigns urged students to "Join Your Local Nazis!", adding "The Nazis Are Coming!". It posted recruiting posters at the University of Chicago, the University of Central Florida, the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and Boston University. It has also recruited several veterans and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces who train the organization's members in the use of firearms and military tactics. A U.S. Navy officer was expelled for allegedly recruiting 12 members for the group and four affiliated US Marines were charged with trafficking and manufacturing firearms for the group. Atomwaffen members have also sought to train with the Azov Battalion and Russian Imperial Movement. In October 2020 Ukraine deported two Atomwaffen members who tried to join Azov for inciting to violence.