Foreign Waffen SS Divisions Interdicted a Communist Europe

Feb 15, 2012
Michael Manning

Unterscharfuehrer (NCO) Waffen-SS, Russia, 1943 - Germany's Eastern Front Allies, Osprey Publishing

Western democracies were alarmed that hundreds of thousands of their young men joined the Waffen-SS in the crusade against Soviet Bolshevism 1941-45

The German Waffen-SS Army recruited non-German Aryans to fight on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1945. One million men joined the Waffen-SS in time of war and fought steadfastly for four years. This was an uncomfortable fact for the western allies.

Waffen-SS Divisions

This German parallel army, to the German Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS, attracted committed Europeans from German occupied countries who joined to fight, the threat to Europe from Russian bolshevism and ultimately communism, particularly in autumn 1941 with successive German victories. 0ne million men joined the Waffen SS between 1939 and 1945, the first European Army. Western democracies took note. The Waffen SS - Schulz Staffeln (Weapons - Protection Squads) was set up in 1929 under Heinrich Himmler. By 1939 the Waffen-SS replete with distinctive rank designations, were trained for combat. SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler set the standard.

Some Foreign Waffen-SS Contingents

SS-Panzer-Division 'Wiking' had two new units by 12/1940 - Westland (Dutch, Flemish) and Nordland (Scandinavians) in 1941-43 a Finnish battalion served. The 1945 battle for Berlin was spearheaded by the Wiking Division.
SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division 'Nordland' formed 6/1943 incorporated various existing volunteer units, comprising regiments designated - Danmark, Norge with Hungarian and Rumanian Volksdeutsche volunteers.
SS-Freiwilligen-Legion 'Nederland' formed July 1941 from large numbers of Dutch volunteers became, by October 1944, the 4th SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade 'Nedeland'.
Lettische-SS Freiwilligen Legion early 43 fought in Kurland Enclave until 5/45.
Waffen Grenadier Division der SS (Galizische Nr1; Ukrainische Nr.1) recruited from Ukrainans and Volksdeutsche 4/1943 behind German lines. The massive Ukrainian voluntary response was limited to 30,000 recruits. The remnants of this division fought through the Carpathian Mountains into the US-Zone, Germany, winter 1946-47 and avoided repatriation to Russia. Their arrival coincided with Russian plans to dominate Eastern Europe. Galicians were ardent members of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA).
The 250th Infantry 'Blue Division', composed of Spanish volunteers fought until October 1943 in Northern Russia and the French Volunteer Legion (L.V.F.) fought until September 1944 as the 638th Reinforced Infantry Regiment. Neither Division was SS.
Belgian volunteers served in the Walloon Infantry Battalion no. 373 in Southern Russia until August 1943 and then became 28th SS Infantry Division 'Wallonie' and was reduced to 'Kampfgruppe Bourgignon' to defend Stargard, Pomerania, East Prussia.
SS Nordwest Flandern Legion invaded Russia June 1941 and became the 6th Langemarck Assault Brigade in February 1944.
5,000 German-speaking young Frenchmen from Alsasce joined the GrossDeutscheland Division September 1940. Alsatian, Gefreiter Guy Sajer wrote his epoch changing memoir The Forgotten Soldier to worldwide acclaim detailing his time as an ordinary soldier on the cruel Eastern Front.
Waffen-SS veterans joined the Legion Etrangeurs Francais (French Foreign Legion) and the Regiment Etrangeurs Parachutiste (REP), post World War Two, to fight in Indochine (Vietnam) 1945-54.

General Patton and GeneralFeldMarschall von Manstein Relieved of Command

US Army General Patton, recognising the fighting qualities of the four million German POWs in US captivity, in Germany in 1945, was determined 'to arm them to fight the Rooskies' because 'they hate them and they are the real enemy.' General Patton was relieved of his command. GeneralFeldMarschall von Manstein entitled his memoir Lost Victories because German victories against the Russians, the real enemy, were not followed up by the western domocracies. Hitler relieved von Manstein of his command for criticising his murderous 'no retreat policy.'