Imbued with a strong Christian ethos, he sought to win support for his vision of a more just and noble social-political order dedicated to the best long-term interests of the people. His natural gifts as a leader were apparent early on. He visited North Africa, the Middle East and, of course, much of Europe. In his student days he traveled in Latin America, the United States and Canada. His keen interests were wide-ranging, and included political science, art, archeology and Thomistic philosophy.
As a student at the University of Louvain, he earned a doctorate in law. His life began in 1906 in Bouillon, a small town in the Belgian Ardennes. Of him Hitler reportedly said: “If I were to have a son, I would want him to be like Degrelle.”
During the war he became known across the continent for his charismatic leadership and courage in combat on the Eastern Front. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Leon Degrelle was already known as the leader of the anti-Establishment Rexist party in Belgium, and as Europe’s youngest and most dynamic political figure.