The Relevance of Studying Extreme Right-Wing Foreign Fighters
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This chapter introduces the phenomenon of extreme right-wing foreign fighters, a historically persistent and increasingly relevant aspect of modern conflicts. These individuals, driven by ideological affinities, have participated in numerous armed confrontations – from the Spanish Civil War and World War II to recent conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. The chapter underscores the heterogeneity of these fighters in terms of ideology, nationality and motivation and argues for the importance of studying them as a distinct category. It outlines three key research perspectives: military, terrorist and ideological–organizational, all of which intersect in shaping the threat landscape. A comprehensive conceptual framework is proposed, addressing definitional challenges related to the terms ‘extreme right’, ‘foreign’ and ‘fighter’. The chapter also surveys the evolving academic literature on foreign fighters, highlighting gaps in knowledge, especially regarding nonjihadist and extreme right-wing actors. The potential threats posed by these individuals span battlefield dynamics, radicalization at home and the strengthening of transnational extremist networks. Ultimately, the chapter provides the analytical foundation for the volume, setting the stage for historical case studies, legal discussions and country-specific analyses that follow. It emphasizes the need for rigorous, comparative and multidisciplinary research to understand and mitigate the impact of extreme right-wing foreign fighters.. |
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