Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts
Encyclopedia
The Waffen-SS was the combat
arm of the Schutzstaffel
("Protective Squadron") or SS, an organ of the German Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS
saw action throughout World War II
and grew from three regiments to a force of over 39 divisions, which served alongside the regular army, but was never formally part of the Wehrmacht
. Although operational control of the Waffen-SS units on the front line was given to the Army's High Command, in all other respects they remained under the auspices of Reichsfuhrer-SS
Heinrich Himmler
's SS, and behind the lines these units were an instrument of political policy enforcement. It was Adolf Hitler
's will that the Waffen-SS never be integrated into the Army. In 1940 Hitler gave permission for the first non German Waffen SS formation and by the end of the war, twenty five of the thirty eight Waffen SS division were formed from foreign volunteers or conscripts, or around 60% of Waffen-SS members were non-German.
After the war, in the Nuremberg Trials
, the Waffen-SS was condemned as a criminal organisation owing to its essential connection to the Party and its involvement in war crimes and the Holocaust
. The exception made was for Waffen-SS conscripts sworn in after 1943, who were exempted owing to their involuntary servitude.
Felix Steiner
. Steiner organized the volunteer division, and soon advocated for an increased number of foreign units. The 5 SS Wiking was committed to combat several days after the launch of the invasion of the Soviet Union
(Operation Barbarossa
), proving itself an impressive fighting unit. It became both one of the established elite divisions and a model for what might be achieved through careful recruitment and training. Its ranks, however, never exceeded 40% "foreign" troops, relying heavily on German officers, non-commissioned officer
s and technical specialists to provide the major part of its strength.
, Norwegian
, Swedish, Finnish and Dutch
volunteer formations were committed to combat, generally proving their worth despite their limited numbers. Himmler was allowed to create his new formations, but they were to be commanded by German officers and NCO
s. Beginning in 1942-43, several new formations were built up from Croats
, Latvians, Estonians
and Ukrainians
. Himmler ordered that new Waffen-SS units formed with men of non-Germanic ethnicity were to be designated Division der SS or Division of the SS rather than SS Division. In some of these cases, the wearing of the SS runes on the collar was forbidden, with several of these formations wearing national insignia instead.
Gottlob Berger
sought to gain control of all foreign volunteer forces serving alongside Germany's Wehrmacht. This put the Waffen SS at odds with the Army, as several volunteer units had been placed under Army control, for instance volunteers of the Spanish Blue Division
. In several cases, such as the ROA
and the 5.SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
, he was successful, and by the last year of the war most foreign volunteers units did fall under SS command.
While several volunteer units performed poorly in combat, the majority acquitted themselves well. French
and Spanish
SS volunteers, along with remnants of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland formed the final defence of the Reichstag in 1945.
Among the more unusual units to exist in the Waffen-SS was the British Free Corps
, a unit composed of citizens of the British Commonwealth. Initial efforts at organization were made by John Amery
and then taken over by the SS. This "corps" never had a strength of more than 27 men at any given time. Amery was tried and convicted of treason
by the British government, and was executed in December 1945.
Additionally, there were SS units and entire SS 'Foreign Legions' consisting primarily of Indian, Arabs, Tartars/Cossacks amongst others. In fact, there was even units, such as SS Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger that accepted persecuted peoples such as Homosexuals, Gypsies and political prisoners. Ultimately, a significant majority (~60%) of men who volunteered and fought with the Waffen SS over the course of the war were not ethnic Germans. The Waffen SS even made allowances for religious traditions and beliefs with specialised uniforms and insignias, as well as providing spiritual guidance and service in non-Christian religions.
A non exhaustive estimate of the total of over 260,000 non-German volunteers in the Waffen SS and their units is shown below:
conscripted by general mobilisations. In an April 13, 1950 message from the U.S. High Commission in Germany (HICOG), signed by General Frank McCloy to the Secretary of State, clarified the US position on the "Baltic Legions": they were not to be seen as "movements", "volunteer", or "SS". In short, they were not given the training, indoctrination, and induction normally given to SS members. Subsequently the US Displaced Persons Commission in September 1950 declared that
consider these men as freedom fighters.
An estimate of the total of over 90,000 non-German conscripts in the Waffen SS and their units is shown below:
, one of the last recipients of the Knight's Cross
was sentenced to 20 years of forced labour and released from prison in 1959. Some were far less lucky and were shot upon capture by the French authorities. General Leclerc
was famously presented with a defiant group of 11 or 12 captured 33 SS Charlemagne men. The Free French General immediately asked them why they wore a German
uniform, to which one of them replied by asking the General why he wore an American one; the Free French wore modified US Army uniforms. The group of French Waffen-SS men was then promptly executed without any form of military tribunal procedure.
Walloon
leader Leon Degrelle
, escaped to Spain
, where, despite being sentenced to death in absentia by the Belgian authorities, he lived in exile until his death in 1994.
The men of the XV SS Cossack Corps found themselves in Austria
at the end of the war and surrendered to British
troops. Even though they were given assurances that they would not be turned over to the Soviets, they nevertheless were forcibly removed from the compound and transferred to the USSR. This event became known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks
. Most of the Cossacks were executed for treason.
700 soldiers in Regiment Norge, and other SS-volunteers from Norway. (About 38 % of dead SS-soldiers from Norway, died while serving Regiment Norge, as a "part of" 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
.)
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
arm of the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
("Protective Squadron") or SS, an organ of the German Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
saw action throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and grew from three regiments to a force of over 39 divisions, which served alongside the regular army, but was never formally part of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. Although operational control of the Waffen-SS units on the front line was given to the Army's High Command, in all other respects they remained under the auspices of Reichsfuhrer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
's SS, and behind the lines these units were an instrument of political policy enforcement. It was Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's will that the Waffen-SS never be integrated into the Army. In 1940 Hitler gave permission for the first non German Waffen SS formation and by the end of the war, twenty five of the thirty eight Waffen SS division were formed from foreign volunteers or conscripts, or around 60% of Waffen-SS members were non-German.
After the war, in the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, the Waffen-SS was condemned as a criminal organisation owing to its essential connection to the Party and its involvement in war crimes and the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. The exception made was for Waffen-SS conscripts sworn in after 1943, who were exempted owing to their involuntary servitude.
SS Wiking
In late 1940 the creation of a multinational SS division, the SS Division Wiking, was authorised and command of the division was given to BrigadeführerBrigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Felix Steiner
Felix Steiner
Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Reichswehr and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
. Steiner organized the volunteer division, and soon advocated for an increased number of foreign units. The 5 SS Wiking was committed to combat several days after the launch of the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
), proving itself an impressive fighting unit. It became both one of the established elite divisions and a model for what might be achieved through careful recruitment and training. Its ranks, however, never exceeded 40% "foreign" troops, relying heavily on German officers, non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and technical specialists to provide the major part of its strength.
Further volunteers
Soon Danish, BelgianBelgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
, Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
, Swedish, Finnish and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
volunteer formations were committed to combat, generally proving their worth despite their limited numbers. Himmler was allowed to create his new formations, but they were to be commanded by German officers and NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s. Beginning in 1942-43, several new formations were built up from Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Latvians, Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
and Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
. Himmler ordered that new Waffen-SS units formed with men of non-Germanic ethnicity were to be designated Division der SS or Division of the SS rather than SS Division. In some of these cases, the wearing of the SS runes on the collar was forbidden, with several of these formations wearing national insignia instead.
Gottlob Berger
Gottlob Berger
Gottlob Berger was a German Nazi who held the rank of Obergruppenführer during World War II and was later convicted of war crimes.In 1939, he was Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler's main recruiting officer...
sought to gain control of all foreign volunteer forces serving alongside Germany's Wehrmacht. This put the Waffen SS at odds with the Army, as several volunteer units had been placed under Army control, for instance volunteers of the Spanish Blue Division
Blue Division
The Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
. In several cases, such as the ROA
Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
and the 5.SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
The 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien was formed from the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien which was a Belgian Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Walloon background...
, he was successful, and by the last year of the war most foreign volunteers units did fall under SS command.
While several volunteer units performed poorly in combat, the majority acquitted themselves well. French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
SS volunteers, along with remnants of the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland formed the final defence of the Reichstag in 1945.
Among the more unusual units to exist in the Waffen-SS was the British Free Corps
British Free Corps
During World War II, the British Free Corps was a unit of the consisting of British and Dominion prisoners of war who had been recruited by the Nazis. The unit was originally known as The Legion of St...
, a unit composed of citizens of the British Commonwealth. Initial efforts at organization were made by John Amery
John Amery
John Amery was a British fascist who proposed to the Wehrmacht the formation of a British volunteer force and made recruitment efforts and propaganda broadcasts for Nazi Germany...
and then taken over by the SS. This "corps" never had a strength of more than 27 men at any given time. Amery was tried and convicted of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
by the British government, and was executed in December 1945.
Additionally, there were SS units and entire SS 'Foreign Legions' consisting primarily of Indian, Arabs, Tartars/Cossacks amongst others. In fact, there was even units, such as SS Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger that accepted persecuted peoples such as Homosexuals, Gypsies and political prisoners. Ultimately, a significant majority (~60%) of men who volunteered and fought with the Waffen SS over the course of the war were not ethnic Germans. The Waffen SS even made allowances for religious traditions and beliefs with specialised uniforms and insignias, as well as providing spiritual guidance and service in non-Christian religions.
A non exhaustive estimate of the total of over 260,000 non-German volunteers in the Waffen SS and their units is shown below:
- Albanian: 6,500 in the 21st SS Division21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian)The 21st Division of the SS Skanderbeg was a Mountain division of the SS set up by Heinrich Himmler in March 1944, officially under the title of the 21. Waffen-Gebirgs Division der SS Skanderbeg...
- Belgian: 13,000 FlemishFlemish peopleThe Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
in the 5th SS Div.5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade WallonienThe 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien was formed from the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien which was a Belgian Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Walloon background...
, 27th SS Div. - Belgium: 6,000 WalloonsWalloonsWalloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
5th SS Div., 28th SS Div. - British Commonwealth (English): 100 in the Britische FreikorpsBritish Free CorpsDuring World War II, the British Free Corps was a unit of the consisting of British and Dominion prisoners of war who had been recruited by the Nazis. The unit was originally known as The Legion of St...
- Bulgaria: 700 in the Bulgarisches Reg.
- Croatia (includes Bosnian MuslimsBosniaksThe Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
): 20,000 in the 7th SS Div.7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz EugenThe 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen. was formed on March 1942 from Volksdeutsche volunteers from Vojvodina, Croatia, Hungary and Romania, it was initially called the SS-Freiwilligen-Division Prinz Eugen....
, 13th SS Handschar Div.13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II. Its recruits were composed of Muslim Bosniaks. The Handschar division was a mountain infantry formation, the equivalent of the German "Gebirgsjäger" ...
, 23rd SS Div. - Denmark: 6,000 in Frikorps Danmark, 11th SS Div.11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division NordlandThe 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
- Finland: 1,500 in a Volunteer Battalion.
- France: 9,000 in the 33rd SS Div.33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)The 33. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne and Charlemagne Regiment are collective names used for units of French volunteers in the Wehrmacht and later Waffen-SS during World War II...
- Hungary: 40,000 in the 25th SS Div.25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian)The 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi was a Hungarian unit of the Waffen-SS. It was established on November 2, 1944 in Hungary....
, 26th SS Div. and 33rd SS Div. - India: 2,500 in the Volunteer Legion
- Italy: 10,000 in the 29th SS Div.29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)The 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS or Legione SS Italiana was created on 10 February 1945 as the second SS-Division numbered 29. The first on the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS , was disbanded. The new unit created in November 1943, was based on the Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade...
- Netherlands: 25,000 in the 23rd SS Div., 34th SS Div.
- Norway: 6,000 in the 5th SS Div., 6th SS Div.6th SS Mountain Division NordThe 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord" was a German unit of the Waffen SS during World War II, formed in February 1941 as SS Kampfgruppe Nord ....
, 11th SS Div11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division NordlandThe 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
. - Portuguese Volunteers attached, mainly, to the Spanish Blue Division (250th Infantry Division)
- Russian (Belarusian): 15,000 29th SS Div., 30th SS Div.
- Russian (Cossack): 40,000 in the 1st Cossack Div.1st Cossack DivisionThe 1st Cossack Division was a Russian Cossack division of the German Army that served during World War II. It was created on the Eastern Front mostly out of Don Cossacks already serving in the Wehrmacht, those who escaped from the advancing Red Army and Soviet POWs. In 1945, the division was...
- Russian (TurkicTurkic peoplesThe Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
): 10,000 in Ostürkische SS, Tatarische SS - Romania: 6,000 in Waffen-Grenadierregiment der SS (1st Romanian)
- Serbia: 15,000 in Volunteer Corps
- Spain: 18,000 in the Blue DivisionBlue DivisionThe Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
and in the later stages of the war (namely the Battle of Berlin) in two separated companies - Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101 and SS 102. - Sweden, Switzerland and Luxemburg: 3,000 5th SS Div., 11th SS Div.
- Ukraine: 20,000 in the 14th SS Div.
Conscript divisions
Exceptionally in Estonia and Latvia, the Waffen-SS troops were not volunteers but conscripts which the German authorities had denied their wish to form national military units allied to Germany. Under such circumstances, these had either volunteered to the Wehrmacht and had later been forced into the Waffen-SS or were illegallyHague Conventions (1899 and 1907)
The Hague Conventions were two international treaties negotiated at international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands: The First Hague Conference in 1899 and the Second Hague Conference in 1907...
conscripted by general mobilisations. In an April 13, 1950 message from the U.S. High Commission in Germany (HICOG), signed by General Frank McCloy to the Secretary of State, clarified the US position on the "Baltic Legions": they were not to be seen as "movements", "volunteer", or "SS". In short, they were not given the training, indoctrination, and induction normally given to SS members. Subsequently the US Displaced Persons Commission in September 1950 declared that
The Baltic Waffen-SS Units (Baltic Legions) are to be considered as separate and distinct in purpose, ideology, activities, and qualifications for membership from the German SS, and therefore the Commission holds them not to be a movement hostile to the Government of the United States.The governments of the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
consider these men as freedom fighters.
An estimate of the total of over 90,000 non-German conscripts in the Waffen SS and their units is shown below:
- Estonia: 30,000 in the 20th SS Div.
- Latvia: 60,000 in the Latvian Legion.
Post war
After the surrender, many volunteers were tried and imprisoned by their countries. In several cases, volunteers were executed. Henri Joseph FenetHenri Joseph Fenet
Henri Joseph Fenet was a soldier during World War II who was awarded both the Croix de Guerre by France, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by Germany.-French service:...
, one of the last recipients of the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
was sentenced to 20 years of forced labour and released from prison in 1959. Some were far less lucky and were shot upon capture by the French authorities. General Leclerc
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie, comte de Hauteclocque, then Leclerc de Hauteclocque, by a 1945 decree that incorporated his French Resistance alias Jacques-Philippe Leclerc to his name, , was a French general during World War II...
was famously presented with a defiant group of 11 or 12 captured 33 SS Charlemagne men. The Free French General immediately asked them why they wore a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
uniform, to which one of them replied by asking the General why he wore an American one; the Free French wore modified US Army uniforms. The group of French Waffen-SS men was then promptly executed without any form of military tribunal procedure.
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
leader Leon Degrelle
Léon Degrelle
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen SS which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union...
, escaped to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where, despite being sentenced to death in absentia by the Belgian authorities, he lived in exile until his death in 1994.
The men of the XV SS Cossack Corps found themselves in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
at the end of the war and surrendered to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
troops. Even though they were given assurances that they would not be turned over to the Soviets, they nevertheless were forcibly removed from the compound and transferred to the USSR. This event became known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks
Betrayal of the Cossacks
The Repatriation of Cossacks after WW2, also known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks, the Tragedy of Drau or the Massacre of Cossacks at Lienz refers to the forced repatriation to the USSR of the Cossacks and ethnic Russians who were allies of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.The...
. Most of the Cossacks were executed for treason.
SS-volunteers from Norway
In Norwegian, the term frontkjemper ("battlefront" + "fighter") has been used since World War 2, about the circaCirca
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
700 soldiers in Regiment Norge, and other SS-volunteers from Norway. (About 38 % of dead SS-soldiers from Norway, died while serving Regiment Norge, as a "part of" 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
.)
See also
- Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
- SS uniform
- Ranks and insignia of the SchutzstaffelRanks and insignia of the SchutzstaffelThe uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between 1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces, the German state, and the Nazi Party....
- List of Waffen-SS units
- List of Knight's Cross recipients of the Waffen-SS
- ODESSAODESSAThe ODESSA, from the German Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen, meaning “Organization of Former SS Members,” is believed to have been an international Nazi network set up toward the end of World War II by a group of SS officers...
- SS-Standarte Kurt EggersSS-Standarte Kurt EggersSS-Kriegsberichter-Kompanie SS-Kriegsberichter-Abteilung SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers The SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers was a German Waffen SS war correspondent formation which reported on the actions of all Waffen SS combat formations, seeing action in all major theatres of war with the exception of North...
- Allgemeine SSAllgemeine SSThe Allgemeine SS was the most numerous branch of the Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany. It was managed by the SS-Hauptamt...
- Schutzstaffel unit insignia
- SS and Police LeaderSS and Police LeaderSS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
- Germanic-SSGermanic-SSThe Germanic SS was the collective name given to SS groups which arose in Occupied Europe between 1939 and 1945.The units were modeled on the Allgemeine-SS in Nazi Germany...