British politician Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley was well-known for his support of fascism. He served as a member of parliament during the 1920s before becoming the BUF’s leader for the following ten years. He was a Westminster native who fought in the British military during World War I before going into politics in 1918. He frequently changed sides, never sticking with one side over another. Prior to formally joining the “Labour Party,” he briefly operated as an independent after beginning his political career with the “Conservatives.” It was nearly certain that he would become prime minister when he was in his late 20s. He eventually backed out due to his ideological disagreements with the party over some programs. In 1931, he ran for office for the first time but failed. He then founded the “New Party.” He merged his party with the BUF in 1932 as a result of the defeat. In 1940, the group was declared illegal, and Oswald was sent behind bars. He soon left the nation and sought refuge in Paris, France. After the Second World War, he also made an attempt to run for office in the parliamentary elections twice, but despite those failures, his political career never really got off.
Early Childhood & Life
On November 16, 1896, in Mayfair, Westminster, Oswald Mosley was born to Sir Oswald Mosley, 5th Baronet. All of the family’s male members were eligible to use the prefix “Sir” if they so desired due to the title “Baronet.” The oldest of his siblings was Oswald. Edward and John were his two younger brothers.
His ancestors had been around since the 12th century. His was one of Westminster’s most reputable families of commoners. When Oswald was a little child, his parents divorced, and as a result, he and his mother moved in with his paternal grandfather. Tom is how his close friends and family refer to him.
Oswald spent most of his adolescence at his grandparents’ home, Apedale Hall, a vast manor. He went to Winchester College and West Downs School. He eventually became quite passionate about the military. He became a soldier as a result of the First World War.
He had a history in sports, especially fencing, which contributed to his expertise in battle. He spent his entire life practicing the sport.
In 1914, he was accepted into the “Royal Military College,” but due to his arrogant attitude, he was expelled. He entered combat in the First World War when he was 20 years old.
Political and military careers
He served on the French western front under the command of the 16th The Queen’s Lancers. On the battlefield, he displayed outspoken demeanor and was regarded as impulsive but fearless. He sustained serious wounds during the battle and was later assigned to observation duty. He healed and returned to the “Battle of Loos” battlefield before passing out from an injury. He was thereafter assigned a desk position in the “Foreign Office.”
By the end of the Second World War, Mosley had made up his mind to pursue a career in politics. He entered politics as a “Conservative” member of parliament, but his lack of a college degree and professional experience proved to be his major obstacles.
His military experience and family history helped him build a loyal following in the communities where his family was well-known. He was 21 years old at the time but had not yet solidified any political ideas. In the 1918 general election, he ran from Harrow and easily won.
He thereby became a ‘House of Commons’ member who is the youngest. His claim to being a “great orator” was made. He spoke in the “House of Commons” without any notes and did so with a lot of confidence.
Over time, he began to understand what the “Conservative Party” stood for, and it did not appeal to him. He cut his links with the “Conservative Party” and joined their opposition in the “House of Commons” because he abhorred the “Irish policy” so fiercely. He was able to keep his seat in the general elections of 1922 and 1923 because of the strong backing he had at that point amassed from his constituency.
His allegiance had begun to sway toward the “Labour Party,” which had established the government in 1924, by the middle of his 20s. In March 1924, he approached them and joined the “Independent Labour Party,” joining the British political left.
He anticipated receiving one of the most important positions of state after his party won the general elections in 1929, but was instead awarded the title of “Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.” He was not permitted to sit in the cabinet because of the insignificance of his position.
His responsibilities included lowering the unemployment rate. He proposed a program known as the “Mosley Memorandum,” which demanded hefty tariffs. The cabinet, however, turned down the plan. Because of this incident, Mosley decided to leave his job in 1930.
He soon established the ‘New Party,’ a political party. The party favored corporatist economic policies, which some “Labour” and “Conservative” MPs also favored. The prominent news organization “Daily Mail” concurred with Oswald’s viewpoints.
The 1931 elections were quickly called due to the Great Depression, and the “New Party” fared horribly, obtaining no seats. The party’s views gradually become increasingly radical and close to fascism. At the time, fascism was despised by both liberals and conservatives. As a result, several seasoned lawmakers quit the party. After the loss in 1931, Oswald traveled to Italy to research Mussolini’s fascist methods and came away from his studies even more certain that this was the best course for Britain.
Oswald established the BUF in 1932. With only 50,000 subscribers at first, it caused a stir in the media, notably with the two major newspapers, “Daily Mirror” and “Daily Mail.”
In the ensuing years, his party organized a number of public protests, but the majority turned violent. This seriously damaged their reputation. One of those demonstrations, known as the “Battle of Cable Street,” saw Mosley marching alongside the BUF through neighborhoods populated primarily by Jews. The police commissioner then gave him the go-ahead to end his march.
When the Second World War started, Mosley pleaded for peace, a move that was initially well-received by the common people. Mosley’s opinions grew hostile as the conflict grew more intense and he continued to advocate for peace. A sizable portion of the populace was also leaning toward fascism.
Mosley’s popularity reached an all-time high in 1934. But on March 23, 1940, when he was pleading with the British government to support Hitler, he was taken into custody. Near the end of 1943, Mosley was let go. His political standing had considerably declined by that point.
He departed for Ireland and eventually relocated to Paris in 1951 after being incensed by the level of contempt in the political bubble of Britain. He did attempt to run in the general elections in 1959 and 1966, nevertheless. Both times, he was unsuccessful, and he eventually left politics altogether.
Individual Life of Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley wed Lady Cynthia, the second child of a former viceroy of India, in May 1920. He was not a very devoted man, though, and had a notorious affair with Lady Alexandra Metcalfe, the younger sister of his wife, as well as with Grace Curzon, her stepmother. With Lady Cynthia, he fathered three children.
He married Diana Mitford, his mistress, in October 1936 after the unexpected loss of his first wife, and they had two children together.
He had a great deal of admiration for Mahatma Gandhi, and following their meeting in 1924, he made the famous claim that Gandhi had a “sympathetic personality of subtle intelligence.”
Estimated net worth
The estimated net worth of Oswald Mosley is unknown.
Death of Oswald Mosley
On December 3, 1980, Mosley passed away in the Paris district of Orsay. In 1968, he completed and published his autobiography, titled “My Life.”