Waffen-SS Foreign Volunteers and Conscripts

Waﬀen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts

The Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts dur- a fact which deeply troubled the traditional officer corps ing World War II were members of the Waffen-SS who of the German Army.[11][10] In 1933, a group of 120 have been recruited or conscripted mainly from among SS men were chosen to form the Leibstandarte SS Adolf the nationals of Nazi-occupied Europe. The recruitment Hitler.[12] A year later, Hitler approved the formation of began in April 1940 with the creation of two regiments: the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT), which together with the Waffen SS Regiment Nordland (for Danish, Norwe- the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, made up the early ele- gian, and Swedish volunteers), and the Waffen SS Regi- ments of what would became the Waffen-SS.[12] It was ment Westland (for Dutch, and Flemish volunteers). As Hitler’s wish that unit should never be integrated into the Waffen SS Freiwilligen grew in numbers, the volun- the army nor the state police, but remain an independent teers were grouped into Legions (with the size of bat- force of military-trained men at the disposal of the Führer talion or brigade); their members included the so-called in times of both war and peace.[13][14] It was commanded Germanic non-Germans as well as ethnic German offi- by Heinrich Himmler in his capacity as Reichsführer- cers originating from the occupied territories (i.e. the SS.[15] Volksdeutsche). Following Operation Barbarossa – as the Himmler initially in 1934 set stringent requirements for war on the Eastern front raged – the Freiwilligen made up [1][2] Waffen-SS recruits. They were to be German nationals one half of the entire Waffen-SS fighting force. No- who could prove their Aryan ancestry back to 1800, un- tably, by February 1942 the recruitment to the Waffen-SS married, and without a criminal record. Recruits had to in south-east Europe turned into compulsory conscription be between the ages of 17 and 23, at least 1.74 metres for all German minorities of military age by the “iron law [3] (5 ft 9 in) tall (1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in) for the Leibstan- of their ethnicity”. darte). Recruits were required to have perfect teeth and Frantic recruiting of all available manpower including SS eyesight and provide a medical certificate.[16] By 1938 the takeover of complete Army, Navy, and Air Force units height restrictions were relaxed, up to six dental fillings was introduced in 1943 in order to rebuild understrength were permitted, and eyeglasses for astigmatism and mild regiments depleted by high casualty rates.[4] A system of vision correction were allowed.[17] Once World War II nomenclature developed to formally distinguish person- in Europe commenced, the physical requirements were nel based on their place of origin. The formations with no longer strictly enforced, and essentially any recruit non-German volunteers of Germanic background were who could pass a basic medical exam was considered officially named Freiwilligen (Scandinavians, Dutch, the for Waffen-SS service.[17] Following the campaign in the Flemish, Walloons, and the Frenchmen), while the units West in 1940, Hitler authorized the enlistment of “peo- with preponderance of the so-called non-German Volks- ple perceived to be of related stock”, as Himmler put deutsche from satellite countries – organized into inde- it, to expand the ranks.[18] A number of Danes, Dutch, pendent legions – had a designation Waffen attached to Norwegians, Swedes and Finns volunteered to fight in the their names for the ease of formal identification.[4] They Waffen-SS under the command of German officers.[19][20] were forbidden to display the SS-runes reserved for the Non-Germanic units were not considered to be part of the original Reichsdeutsche.[5] Despite manpower shortages, SS directly, which still maintained its strict racial criteria, Waffen-SS remained faithful to the racist ideology of the but rather were considered to be foreign nationals serving Third Reich, barring undesirable ethno-racial and reli- under the command of the SS.[21] [6][7][8] gious minorities from service. After Germany turned East and attacked the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, further volunteers from France, Spain, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans signed 1 History of the Waffen-SS up to fight for the Nazi cause. In 1942, further units of non-Germanic recruits were formed.[20] Eventually units consisting of Russians, Indians, Arabs and even one with The Waffen-SS (Armed SS) was created as the mil- a few Britons were created. The Waffen-SS grew from itarized wing of the Schutzstaffel (SS; “Protective three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War Squadron”) of the Nazi Party after the Night of the Long II.[22] By 1945, the Waffen-SS had developed into a mil- [9] Knives. When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, his itary force with volunteers and conscripts of multiple paramilitary organizations included the Sturmabteilung ethnicities which were mainly from occupied Europe.[23] [10] (SA; “Storm Detachment”) and the SS. Together, By that time, however, the Waffen-SS also became a these two groups numbered more than three million men,

1 2 2 FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS AND CONSCRIPTS BY PLACE OF ORIGIN shadow of its former self; having insufficient numeri- • 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien[36] cal strength of different divisions, harried by problems, • [38] and overwhelmed by poor-quality draftees.[24] Estimates Algemeene-SS Vlaanderen for the maximum growth of the Waffen-SS number over • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking[35] 800,000 including members of the Hitler Youth who were pressured to volunteer for service.[4] After the war, the • 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien[36] unit was declared a criminal organization for its major in- volvement in war crimes and for being an “integral part” of the SS.[25][26] 2.4 Bulgaria

• Bulgaria: 700+

2 Foreign volunteers and con- • Waﬀen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (1st scripts by place of origin Bulgarian)[39]

• • 2.1 Albania 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian)[40] • Albania: 9,000+ volunteers and conscripts • 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eu- 2.5 Denmark gen[27] Freiwilligen Legion Danemark (July 1941) [34] • 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg[28] • Free Corps Denmark (The Danish Legion) • 50th Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment of the SS[29] • HIPO Corps • 51st Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment of • Schalburg Corps the SS[29] • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking • 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS [30] Handschar (1st Croatian) • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nord- • 1st Battalion of the 28th Waffen land[41] Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Infantry) Regi- • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmark ment of the SS[31]

2.2 British Commonwealth 2.6 Finland • Finland: 2,500 in the Britisches Freikorps (British Free Corps of the Waﬀen- [32][33] SS), 1944: 54 men • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking • Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the 2.3 Belgium Waﬀen-SS[42] • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Freiwilligen Legion Flandern (July 1941) [34] Nordland[41] • SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking[35]

• 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Ned- 2.7 France erland[36] • [43] • 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade France: 18,000 to 22,000 in the [36] Nederland • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division • SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest[37] Nordland[41] • • 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck[36] Fenet battalion (see: Henri Joseph Fenet) • 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von • 6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Lange- Berlichingen marck[36] • 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division • 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien[36] Horst Wessel 2.12 Netherlands 3

• 8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France[44] 2.12 Netherlands • 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wal- SS Freiwilligen Legion Niederlande (1941): 50,000 to lonien[45] 55,000 men [1][43] • 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nord- [41] • Der bretonische Waffenverband der Waffen- land SS (Bezen Perrot)[46] • 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian) 2.8 Hungary • 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Ned- erland • Hungary: 40,000 in the • 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland • 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eu- • SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest gen • • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nordland[41] Nederland • 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS • SS Volunteer Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Hunyadi (1st Hungarian) Nederland • 26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd • SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers Hungarian) • 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 2.13 Norway • 'Szálasi' Hungarian SS Grenadier Battal- ion SS Freiwilligen Legion Norwegen (1941): 1,218 men [48][49] • 33rd Waffen Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian) • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking • 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow • 6th SS Mountain Division Nord • SS-Skijeger-Bataljon Norge 2.9 India • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nord- land[41] • India: 2,500 in the • SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 “Norge” • Indisches Freiwilligen Infanterie Regiment (1st Norwegian) 950 or "Tiger Legion" • SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

2.10 Ireland 2.14 Romania

• Ireland: Irish Brigade, SS Jagdverband • Romania: 55,000 in the • 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von 2.11 Italy Berlichingen • Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (1st Ro- Italienische Freiwilligen Legion (1943): 6,000 men [47] manian) • Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (2nd • 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Romanian)" • SS Panzer-Zerstörer-Regiment (rumänis- • 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ital- che Nr. 2) ian) (Legione SS Italiana) • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland[41] • 1st Sturmbrigade, Italienische Freiwilligen Le- • gion 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen[50] • 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division • 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer[51] 4 2 FOREIGN VOLUNTEERS AND CONSCRIPTS BY PLACE OF ORIGIN

2.15 Spain 2.18.2 Azerbaijan

• Spain: 3,000 in the • Azerbaijan: 70,000 in the

• Blue Legion • Azeri SS Volunteer Formations • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Divi- • Stab Waffen-Gruppe Aserbeidschan sion Nordland[41] • Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101 2.18.3 Estonia • Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie • [54] der SS 102 Estonia: 20,000 in the • 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS • Estonian Legion • 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division • 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade Wallonien • 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) 2.16 Sweden • See also: Finnish Infantry Regiment 200 • Sweden:[52] 180 to 500 in 2.18.4 Georgia • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division • Georgia:[55] 3,000 to 10,000 in the Nordland[41] • [56] • 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company of the SS-Waffengruppe Georgien SS Armoured Reconnaissance Detach- ment 11 (known as Swedenzug = Sweden 2.18.5 Latvia Platoon) • 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division • Latvia: 55,000[57] in the Nederland • Latvian Legion • SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers • 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) 2.17 Switzerland • 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) • Switzerland: 800+[53] in the • SS-Hauptamt 2.18.6 North Caucasus • 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking • 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division • North Caucasus: 1,000 to 2,000 in Nordland[41] • SS-Waffengruppe Nordkaukasus • SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 • 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) 2.18.7 Russia • SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers • Russia (& Belarus): 25,000 in the

2.18 Soviet Union • 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian) 2.18.1 Armenia • Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski • Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA (7000 sol- • Armenia: 2,000 to 4,000 in the diers) • Kaukasische Waffen-Verband der SS • 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st • Stab Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der Belarussian) SS • Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling • Stab Waffen-Gruppe Armenien • 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (SS- • Stab Waffen-Gruppe Nordkaukasus Sonderbrigade “Dirlewanger”) • Stab Waffen-Gruppe Georgien • Stab Waffen-Gruppe Aserbeidschan • Cossack: 23,000 in the 5

• XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps • 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS • 1st SS Cossack Cavalry Division Handschar (1st Croatian) • • 1st Cossack Division 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) • 2nd Cossack Division • 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS • Turkic: 12,000 in the

• Tatar Legions 2.20.2 Serbia • Osttürkische Waffen-Verbände der SS • Serbia: 10,000 in the • Waffengruppe Turkestan • V SS Mountain Corps (Serbian Volksdeutsche • Waffengruppe Aserbeidschan (2,851 sol- (ethnic Germans)) diers) • • Waffengruppe Idel-Ural 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen (Serbian Volksdeutsche • Ostmuselmanisches SS-Regiment (ethnic Germans)) • Tatarische SS • 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS • Waffen-SS Mountain Brigade (Tatar (Serbian Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans)) No. 1): 3,518 soldiers (Waffen-Gebirgs- Brigade der SS Tatarische Nr. 1) 2.20.3 Slovenia • Waffengruppe Krim • 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (SS- • Slovenia: 6,000 in the (among others)[58] Sonderbrigade “Dirlewanger”) • 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS • Aserbeidschanisches Infanterie-Bataillon I/111 (commissioned to the Dirlewanger Brigade in the summer of 1944 for about 3 Post war trials 3 months)

2.18.8 Ukraine

• Ukraine: 20,000 in the

• 14th Waﬀen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian) • 24th Waﬀen Mountain Division of the SS

2.19 United States

• United States of America: 15 to 20 in the

• SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers and also in • various SS-Volunteer-Divisions (there was not an American Legion)

2.20 Yugoslavia

2.20.1 Croatia and Bosnia

• Croatia (includes Muslims): 20,000 in the Former Baltic Waﬀen SS conscripts, wearing black uniforms with blue helmets and white belts, guarding Hermann Goering, Rudolf • V SS Mountain Corps Hess and other top Nazis during the Nuremberg Trials. • 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen After the German Instrument of Surrender, many volun- • SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Jäger- teers were tried and imprisoned by their countries. In sev- Regiment 13 “Artur Phleps” eral cases, volunteers were executed. Henri Joseph Fenet, 6 5 REFERENCES

one of the last recipients of the Knight’s Cross was sen- below the theoretical strength of the typical division. The tenced to 20 years of forced labour and released from nationality of the units represents only the main country prison in 1959.[59] Some were far less lucky and were of origin of men in that unit. In most cases the officers shot upon capture by the French authorities. General and NCOs of the unit were of German extraction. Leclerc was famously presented with a defiant group of [3] Longerich 2012, pp. 611-612. 11 or 12 captured 33rd SS Charlemagne men. The Free French General immediately asked them why they wore [4] W.V. Madej (2002) [1981]. German Army Order of Battle a German uniform, to which one of them replied by ask- 1939 - 1945. Vol. 1. Allentown, Pennsylvania: Game ing the General why he wore an American one; the Free Marketing. pp. 151, 155–156. ISBN 0941052028. French wore modified US Army uniforms. The group [5] Gordon Williamson (2012). The Waffen-SS. Vol. 3: 11. of French Waffen-SS men was then promptly executed to 23. Divisions. Osprey Publishing. p. 4. ISBN [60] without any form of military tribunal procedure. 1780965796.

Walloon leader Leon Degrelle escaped to Spain, where, [6] W. Borodziej, Ruch oporu w Polsce w świetle tajnych akt despite being sentenced to death in absentia by the Bel- niemieckich, Część IX, Kierunki 1985, nr 16. gian authorities, he lived in exile until his death in 1994.[61] Some 146 Baltic soldiers from Latvia, Lithuania [7] Eugeniusz Cezary Król, Polska i Polacy w propagandzie and Estonia who fought against Soviets and escaped to narodowego socjalizmu w Niemczech 1919-1945, Insty- Sweden were extradited to Soviet Union in 1946.[62] tut Studiów Politycznych Polskiej Akademii Nauk, 2006, page 452. The men of the XV SS Cossack Corps found themselves in Austria at the end of the war and surrendered to British [8] Włodzimierz Borodziej, Terror i polityka: policja troops. Even though they were given assurances that they niemiecka a polski ruch oporu w GG 1939-1944 Instytut Wydawniczy Pax, 1985, page 86. would not be turned over to the Soviets, they neverthe- less were forcibly removed from the compound and trans- [9] Bender & Taylor 1971, p. 23. ferred to the USSR. This event became known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks. Most of the Cossacks were ex- [10] Kershaw 2008, pp. 306-313. [63][64] ecuted for treason. [11] The Waffen-SS 2015. After the war members of Baltic Waffen-SS Units were [12] Flaherty 2004, p. 144. considered separate and distinct in purpose, ideology and activities from the German SS by the Western Allies. [13] Reitlinger 1989, p. 84. Subsequently in the spring of 1946, out of the ranks of [14] McNab 2009, pp. 56-66. Baltic conscripts who had surrendered to the Western allies in the previous year, a total of nine companies were [15] Lumsden 2002, p. 14. formed with a mission to guard the external perimeter of the Nuremberg International Tribunal courthouse and the [16] Weale 2010, pp. 201–204. various depots and residences of US officers and prosecu- [17] Weale 2010, p. 204. tors connected with the trial. The men were also entrusted with guarding the accused Nazi war criminals held in [18] Stein 1984, pp. 150, 153. prison during the trial up until the day of execution.[65][66] [19] Koehl 2004, pp. 213–214.

[20] Longerich 2012, pp. 500, 674.

4 See also [21] Longerich 2012, p. 769.

• List of Knight’s Cross recipients of the Waﬀen-SS [22] McNab 2009, pp. 56, 57, 66. • Wehrmacht foreign volunteers and conscripts [23] McNab 2009, p. 101. [24] McNab 2013, p. 352. • List of Nazis of non-Germanic descent [25] Flaherty 2004, pp. 155, 156. 5 References [26] Stein 1984, p. 251. [27] Tomasevich 2001, p. 77. [1] Nigel Askey. Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Or- [28] Judah 2002, p. 28. ganisational and Statistical Analysis. p. 568. ISBN 1304453294. [29] Nafziger 1992.

[2] Goldsworthy 2010, p. 245: It should be noted that towards [30] Tomasevich 2001, p. 496. the end of the war many of the Waﬀen-SS divisions were divisions in name only and their actual strength was far [31] Lepre 1997, pp. 321, 329. 7

[32] Thurlow 1998, p. 168. [47] Philip S. Jowett. The Italian Army 1940-1945 (3): Italy, 1943-45. p. 18. ISBN 1855328666. [33] Weale, Adrian (2014). Renegades. Random House. Ap- pendix 5: British Members of the British Free Corps and [48] Roger H. Hunt. Frontfighters: The Norwegian Volunteer their Aliases (Kindle Locations 3757-3758). Some only Legion of the Waffen-SS, 1941-1943. p. 19. belonged to this unit for a few days. [49] Robert Forczyk. Leningrad 1941-44: The Epic Siege. p. [34] John Keegan (1970). Waffen SS: the asphalt soldiers. 20. ISBN 1846034418. ISBN 0345019865. Freiwilligen Legion Niederlande; [50] Mitcham 2007, p. 148. Freiwilligen Legion Danemark; Freiwilligen Legion Nor- wegen, and Freiwilligen Legion Flandern were all set up [51] Mitcham 2007, p. 149. in July 1941. [52] The number of Swedes who served in the SS is disputed, [35] Mitcham 2007, p. 144. with estimates ranging from 180 to roughly 500. Gyllen- haal and Westberg in Swedes at War put the number of [36] The Battle for Germany 2015. Swedes who fought for Germany at 200, the majority in the Waffen-SS. [37] Kurowski 2014, p. Chapter X. [53] The thousands of Swiss, who fought for Germany, mainly [38] Bruyne & Rikmenspoel 2004, p. 75. entlisted in the Wehrmacht instead of the Waffen-SS. The numbers for members of the Waffen-SS range between [39] Merriam 1999, p. 8. 300 and 2,000 depending on the source. [40] Abbott 2004, p. 41. [54] Thomas, Nigel (2012). Germany’s Eastern Front Allies (2): Baltic Forces. Osprey Publishing. p. 15. ISBN [41] Mitcham 2007, p. 155. 9781780967349. [42] The battalion was praised by many Waffen-SS comman- [55] At least 30,000 Georgians served in the German armed ders, even Heinrich Himmler, for its combat performance. forces during World War II. The Georgians served in Himmler said “Where a Finnish SS-man stood, the enemy thirteen field battalions of up to 800 men, each made was always defeated.” Neither the unit nor any of its mem- up of five companies. Georgians were also found in the bers were ever accused of any "war crimes". Wehrmacht's North Caucasian Legion and in other Cau- casian ethnic legions. The Georgian military formations [43] Source: Tim Ripley, The Waffen-SS At War: Hitler’s Prae- were commanded by Shalva Maglakelidze, Michel-Fridon torians 1925–1945, 2004, ISBN 978-0760320686 Zulukidze, Col. Solomon Nicholas Zaldastani and other [44] The 8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France was led by a officers formerly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia former Foreign Legionnaire, Obersturmbannführer Paul- (1918–21). Marie Gamory-Dubourdeau. The 1st battalion of about [56] SS-Waffengruppe “Georgien” was formed on December 1,000 men was attached to SS Division Horst Wessel and 11, 1944 and commanded by Waffen-Standartenfuhrer sent to Galicia to fight the Soviet advance. In fierce fight- der SS Michail Pridon Tsulukidze. ing the battalion suffered heavy casualties. [57] Kasekamp, Andres (2010). A History of the Baltic States. [45] 1 motorised infantry regiment (3 regiments from October Palgrave Macmillan. p. 155. ISBN 9780230364516. 1944, but with French, Belgians and Spanish volunteers) [58] Source: Heimdal "Dictionnaire historique de la Waffen [46] In the later stages of World War II Lainé decided to sepa- SS", 1998. rate from Bagadou Stourm and integrate with the SS in the face of the assassination of several leading figures [59] “Ritterkreuzträger Henri Joseph Fenet” (in German). Re- of the Breton cultural movement. One of those assas- trieved 10 November 2008. sinated was priest and Breton language defender Abbé [60] This incident took place May 8, 1945, at Bad Reichenhall Jean-Marie Perrot, murdered by the communist terror- in Bavaria ists of the French Resistance. The militia had originally been named Bezen Kadoudal, after the anti-Jacobin Bre- [61] Encyclopædia Britannica. “Leon Degrelle”. Retrieved ton rebel Georges Cadoudal. The 1943 assassination of 2009-12-03. the priest prompted Lainé to change the organization’s [62] “Virtual Museum OCCUPATION OF LATVIA”. name in honor of Perrot during December of that year. It had already been envisaged by German strategists that [63] Chereshneff, Colonel W.V. (1952), The History of Cos- in the event of Allied invasion the Breton nationalists sacks, Rodina Society Archives would form a rearguard, and that further nationalist troops could be parachuted into Brittany. [1] However, the rapid [64] Roberts, Andrew (June 4, 2005), BLOOD ON OUR American advance from Normandy into Brittany forced HANDS;, The Daily Mail the group to retreat along with the German army. In [65] Mart Laar, Eesti Leegion sonas ja pildis, Grenader Grupp, Tübingen many members were provided with false papers 2008, ISBN 978-9949-422-61-6 by Leo Weisgerber. [2] Following the war many of the organization’s members, including Lainé, Heusaff and the [66] “Esprits de corps - Nuremberg Tribunal Guard Co. 4221 nationalist poet Fant Rozec fled to Ireland. marks 56th anniversary”. Eesti Elu. 8 7 EXTERNAL LINKS

6 Sources • Nafziger, George (1992). “Organizational History of the German SS Formations 1939–1945” (PDF). • Abbott, Peter (2004). Ukrainian Armies 1914–55. Combined Arms Research Digital Library. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-668-2. • Reitlinger, Gerald (1989). The SS: Alibi of a Na- tion, 1922–1945. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306- • Bender, Roger James; Taylor, Hugh Page (1971). 80351-2. Uniforms, Organization, and History of the Waffen- SS. R. James Bender. ASIN B000NKNJ1Y. • The Battle for Germany. Soviet Storm: World War II in the East. Channel One Russia. Retrieved 26 • Bruyne, Eddy; Rikmenspoel, Marc (2004). For Rex April 2015. and for Belgium: Léon Degrelle and Walloon Polit- ical & Military Collaboration 1940-1945. Helion. • Stein, George H (1984). The Waffen SS: Hitler’s ISBN 978-1874622321. Elite Guard at War, 1939-1945. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801492754. • Flaherty, T. H. (2004) [1988]. The Third Reich: The SS. Time-Life. ISBN 1-84447-073-3. • Thurlow, Richard (1998). Fascism in Britain: A History, 1918-1945. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978- • Goldsworthy, Terry (2010). Valhalla’s Warriors: A 1860643378. History of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1941– 1945. Dog Ear Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60844- • Tomasevich, Jozo (1975). War and Revolution in 639-1. Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: The Chetniks. Stanford University. ISBN 0-8047-0857-6. • Judah, Tim (2002). Kosovo: War and Revenge. Yale • University. ISBN 978-0-300-09725-2. Weale, Adrian (2010). The SS: A New History. Lit- tle, Brown. ISBN 978-1-4087-0304-5. • Kershaw, Ian (2008). Hitler: A Biography. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06757-6. 7 External links • Kurowski, Franz (2014). Panzergrenadier Aces: German Mechanized Infantrymen in World War II. • The Telegraph on the Waffen-SS Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0811743488.

• Langer, Howard J.; Rudowski, Marek (2008). Księga Najważniejszych Postaci II Wojny Swiatowej (in Polish). Bellona. ISBN 978-83-11-11111-0.

• Lepre, George (1997). Himmler’s Bosnian Divi- sion: The Waﬀen-SS Handschar Division 1943– 1945. Schiﬀer Publishing. ISBN 0-7643-0134-9.

• Longerich, Peter (2012). Heinrich Himmler: A Life. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-959232-6.

• Lumsden, Robin (2002). A Collector’s Guide To: The Allgemeine SS. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0- 7110-2905-9.

• McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 1923–1945. Amber Books. ISBN 1-906626-49-9.

• McNab, Chris (2013). Hitler’s Elite: The SS 1939- 45. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782000884.

• Merriam, Ray (1999). Waﬀen-SS. Arsenal Publish- ing. ISBN 978-1576381687.

• Mitcham, Samuel (2007). German Order of Bat- tle: Panzer, Panzer Grenadier, and Waﬀen SS divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978- 0811734387. 9

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text

• Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffen-SS_foreign_volunteers_and_conscripts? oldid=698437039 Contributors: Topbanana, Grant65, Geni, Klemen Kocjancic, Rich Farmbrough, Woohookitty, Zealander, Before My Ken, Tabletop, BD2412, DePiep, Rjwilmsi, Bgwhite, Fnorp, Beliar, Prvc, SmackBot, Yamaguchi, Feens, Gilliam, TimBentley, Hiber- nian, Lute88, Stor stark7, OnBeyondZebrax, Neelix, Poeticbent, Hebrides, Staberinde, Dalliance, Smulthaup, Dodo19~enwiki, Commons- Delinker, Paris1127, Hugo999, Gothbag, Nug, W. B. Wilson, Oshwah, WereSpielChequers, Jaan, ImageRemovalBot, Jacurek, EnigmaM- cmxc, Arjayay, K-Billy~enwiki, SchreiberBike, Arturolorioli, Wikiuser100, Jim Sweeney, Addbot, Legobot, Yobot, Sprachpfleger, Dis- illusionedBitterAndKnackered, Kasp2008, Alekksandr, AnomieBOT, LilHelpa, ITSENJOYABLE, ArmTheInsane, The real Marcoman, Brutaldeluxe, Hyperboreer, FrescoBot, Kierzek, Lothar von Richthofen, Enaidowain, MyMoloboaccount, Midas02, Zoupan, WorldWarT- woEditor, Sveltica, Gob Lofa, BG19bot, FJS15, IluvatarBot, Philosus~enwiki, Peacemaker67, Obitauri, Khazar2, Mogism, Wastagnaro, Juanmurillo76, Slav Karach, Ringkrieger, Jonas Vinther, Emihunty, BethNaught, Qordnlrns, K.e.coffman, TomV71, MB298, Goodenski Tomasz and Anonymous: 60

8.2 Images

• File:Baltic_guards_at_Nuremberg.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Baltic_guards_at_Nuremberg. jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://library.law.columbia.edu/ttp/photo10.htm Original artist: Public Relations Photo Section, Office Chief of Counsel for War Crimes, Nuernberg, Germany, APO 696-A, US Army. Photo No. OMTPJ-P-25 • File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original artist: ? • File:Flag_Schutzstaffel.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Flag_Schutzstaffel.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Flag Schutzstaffel.gif: Schutzstaffel.gif' width='18' height='12' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Flag_Schutzstaffel.gif/ 27px-Flag_Schutzstaffel.gif 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Flag_Schutzstaffel.gif/36px-Flag_ Schutzstaffel.gif 2x' data-file-width='324' data-file-height='216' /> Original artist: NielsF • File:Recruitment_posters_of_the_Waffen-SS.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Recruitment_posters_of_ the_Waffen-SS.gif License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: German Federal Archives Original artist: Unknown

8.3 Content license

• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0