How were Freemasons and Freemasonry affected in all the occupied nations? What was it like for Freemasonry before WW2 started in Germany, Italy, USSR, etc.?

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How were Freemasons and Freemasonry affected in all the occupied nations? What was it like for Freemasonry before WW2 started in Germany, Italy, USSR, etc.?

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The short answer is whenever a Fascist or Communist regime came to power, it didn’t take long before the Craft was banned in the that country & all remaining brothers went underground. It was believed by these governments that Masons were part of a worldwide conspiracy & would act as fifth columnists. Like the Jews, Roma, & so many other groups, many Freemasons became victims of the Holocaust. Below is more info on that.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/freemasonry-under-the-nazi-regime

Edit: Also as a Freemason myself, I’m very thankful that I wasn’t living in Mainland Europe during this time.:fearful:

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Thanks for the link brother. I know in Indonesia under the Japanese occupation, all Masonic Lodges were closed as well. Im unsure of any directed persecution against them though. Any sources for Italy or the USSR as well? I’ve had individuals tell me that Masons under Mussolini were part of his Black Shirts but I feel like thats just some more masonic conspiracy nonsense. ∴

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