Patriotism Perverted: Captain Ramsay, the Right Club, and British Anti-Semitism, 1939–1940

by Richard Griffiths

Patriotism Perverted is an exploration of British anti-Semitism in the last six months of peace and the first year of the Second World War. It shows how, against the backdrop of an endemic British 'social anti-Semitism', a virulent form of this tendency was able to emerge in the late Thirties in a variety of extremist movements. These movements gained their strength from the popular obsessions, in 1939, with Jewish responsibility for the approaching war (seen as 'The War of the Jews' Revenge'), and with the myth of the Judaeo-Bolshevik Plot. In many cases, these views were closely related with pro-Nazism and were often held by the most patriotic of people. For most, the outbreak of war was a signal to perform their patriotic duty. But there were others who found themselves in a considerable dilemma, torn between patriotism and their desire to subvert a war they believed Britain to have been tricked into undertaking. Researching many prominent figures of the day, including Captain Ramsay and Sir Oswald Mosley, Patriotism Perverted offers a fascinating insight into the views and activities of those in the various anti-Semitic and/or pro-Nazi circles in 1939.

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1998

About the author

Richard Griffiths, now retired, was Emeritus Professor at the University of Wales and King's College, London and has enjoyed a distinguished academic career at Selwyn College, Cambridge, Brasenose College, Oxford, University College, Cardiff and KCL.

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely excellent book about some particularly unsavory characters, often titled, definitely establishment, a few of them politicians, but what they all had in common was, even for their time, a revolting anti-Semitic outlook on the world. Why it is appalling to realize how English Society was happy to allow these prominent men to spout off their prejudices it is equally good to know that by and large they had absolutely no real influence at all. Of course the prominence of their family names and their money meant that they were not ignored but very few accepted what they had to ssay even if for to long it was tolerated.

Mr. Griffiths is excellent on the pre WWII pro-Hitler and anti-Semitic elements in English society and this and his other books are the ones to consult to understand what was going on rather then the way-to-many popular and sensationalist books which distort what is a very important period.