Atomwaffen Division

Group Status: Current

Atomwaffen Division is a neo-Nazi group that emerged in 2016, created by members of Iron March, a now-defunct white supremacist discussion forum. It was one of several new neo-Nazi groups whose rise paralleled the post-2015 growth of the alt right segment of the white supremacist movement. Atomwaffen distinguishes itself by its extreme rhetoric, influenced by the writings of a neo-Nazi of an earlier generation, James Mason, who admired Charles Manson and supported the idea of lone wolf violence. Members of Atomwaffen have already been connected to several murders in the group’s short history.

Atomwaffen is the German phrase for “atomic weapons” and the Atomwaffen logo consists of a Waffen SS divisional insignia shield featuring a trefoil, the traditional symbol used to warn of ionizing radiation. Often, though not always, the shield is surrounded by a garland (a common garnish to many white supremacist logos).  The Atomwaffen flag features the shield and wreath in the center of the flag, over a black background, with four yellow rays stretching out from the shield/garland towards each flag corner.