A quisling is a person who betrays their own country by collaborating with an enemy, especially during wartime occupation. The word comes from Vidkun Quisling, whose actions during World War II made his name synonymous with treachery.
Quisling was a Norwegian army officer and politician who founded the fascist party Nasjonal Samling. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, Quisling seized the moment to announce himself as head of government in a radio broadcast, effectively supporting the German occupation. His coup failed at first, but in 1942, German authorities installed him as head of a puppet regime. His betrayal was so notorious that his surname became a common noun. He governed Norway under German control until the end of the war. After liberation in 1945, Quisling was tried for treason and executed.
Today, calling someone a “quisling” implies the ultimate political disgrace: a collaborator who betrays their nation to an occupying power.
