The visual and rhetorical styles of Atomwaffen Division and their implications

ABSTRACT Atomwaffen Division (AWD) was an American neo-nazi extremist organization active between 2015 and 2020. Even after its disbanding, AWD’s influence can be felt in the symbols and media produced by other organizations in the white power space. This paper contributes to the ongoing study of violent extremism and media by categorizing, defining, and analysing AWD’s official video releases and visual/audio style. First, we explore the history and significance of AWD’s video media output, noting how AWD took advantage of existing internet aesthetics to connect their messaging to its target audience. Then, we analyse AWD’s official video releases, showing how they express white power ideology in ways which have continued to be influential after the group’s dissolution, along with ongoing implications.