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Research Paper

Siege Culture After Siege: Anatomy of a Neo-Nazi Terrorist Doctrine

21 Jul 2021
Long read by Bethan Johnson

Since the end of 2016, Britain and the US have taken unprecedented steps to proscribe post-war radical right groups; National Action, Sonnenkrieg Division, and Feuerkrieg Division by the former, and the Russian Imperial Movement by the latter. While these groups are serial purveyors of online extremism and often celebrate terrorism in their fora, deeper similarities extend to a shared ideological embrace of “accelerationism” and, in particular, a recently-revived doctrine advanced by the neo-Nazi ideologue, James Mason, now termed “Siege Culture.” Following an overview of this rehashing of revolutionary National Socialism, this ICCT report shows how the terroristic advocacy of “Siege Culture” has a radicalising effect on right-wing extremists. Then, for the first time, we introduce recent “Siege Culture” texts in light of the specific challenges posed for authorities facing the threat of political violence inspired by this praxis. After analysing Mason’s writings on one “Siege Culture” website following his return on the scene in 2017, this paper concludes with several recommendations for potential means of redress.

* The ISSN number that is in the PDF is incorrect. The correct ISSN number is 2468-0664. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.