Wehrmacht foreign volunteers and conscripts

Wehrmacht foreign volunteers and conscripts
Among the approximately one million foreign volunteers and conscripts who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II were ethnic Belgians, Czechs, Dutch, Finns, Danes, French, Hungarians, Norwegians, Poles, Portuguese, Swedes, Swiss along with people from Great Britain, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Balkans. At least 47,000 Spaniards served in the Blue Division.
Some estimates state anywhere between 600,000 and 1,400,000 Soviet citizens (Russians and other non-Russian ethnic minorities) joined the Wehrmacht forces as Hiwis (or Hilfswillige). The Ukrainian collaborationist forces were composed of an estimated number of 180,000 volunteers serving with units scattered all over Europe. Russian émigrés and defectors from the Soviet Union formed the Russian Liberation Army or fought as Hilfswillige within German units of the Wehrmacht primarily on the Eastern Front. Non-Russians from the Soviet Union formed the Ostlegionen (literally "Eastern Legions"). The East Battalions comprized a total of 175,000 personnel. These units were all commanded by General Ernst August Köstring (1876−1953). A lower estimate for the total number of foreign volunteers that served in the entire German armed forces (including the Waffen SS) is 350,000.
These units were often under the command of German officers and some published their own propaganda newssheets.
List of units
Soviet Union
Croatia
Middle East
Legion Freies Arabien (Arab volunteers)
Deutsch-Arabische Lehr-Abteilung (Arab volunteers)
Deutsch-Arabisches Bataillon Nr. 845 (Arab volunteers)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 1 (Turkish volunteers)
Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian volunteers
Armenische Legion (Armenian volunteers)
Aserbaidschanische Legion (Azerbaijani volunteers)
30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Russische Nr. 2)
Georgische Legion (Georgian volunteers)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 1 (Georgian volunteers)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 2 (Armenians & Azerbaijanis)
Sonderverband Bergmann (Georgian and Azerbaijani volunteers)
I. Sonderverband Bergmann Battalion (Georgian volunteers)
III. Sonderverband Bergmann Battalion (Azerbaijani volunteers)
SS-Waffengruppe Georgien (Georgian volunteers)
SS-Waffengruppe Armenien (Armenian volunteers)
SS-Waffengruppe Aserbaidschan (Azeri volunteers)
North Caucasian volunteers
Kaukasisch-Mohammedanische Legion (Azerbaijani, Circassian, Daghestani, Chechen, Ingush, and Lezghin volunteer units)
Kaukasischer-Waffen-Verband der SS or Freiwilligen Brigade Nordkaukasien (volunteers from the North Caucasus region)
Nordkaukasische Legion ("North Caucasian Legion" volunteers from the North Caucasus region)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 1 (North Caucasian volunteers)
Sonderverband Bergmann (North Caucasian volunteers)
II. Sonderverband Bergmann Battalion (North Caucasian volunteers)
SS-Waffengruppe Nordkaukasus (North Caucasian volunteers; Chechens, Ingush & Dagestani)
Central Asian volunteers
162. (Turkistan) Infanterie-Division (Turkestani volunteers)
Muselmanischen SS-Division Neu-Turkistan (Turkestani volunteers)
Turkistanische Legion (volunteers from Central Asia; Uzbeks, Kazakhs & Turkmen)
Böhler-Brigade (Turkestani volunteers)
1. Turkestanisches-Arbeits-Battalion (Turkestani volunteers)
2. Turkestanisches-Arbeits-Battalion (Turkestani volunteers)
3. Turkestanisches-Arbeits-Battalion (Turkestani volunteers)
Osttürkischer Waffen-Verband der SS or 1. Ostmuselmanisches SS-Regiment (Central Asia volunteers)
Turkestanisches-Arbeits-Ersatz-Battalion (Turkestani volunteers)
Waffen-Gruppe Turkistan (Central Asian volunteers)
Kalmykian volunteers
Kalmüken Verband Dr. Doll (Kalmykian volunteers)
Abwehrtrupp 103 (Kalmykian volunteers)
Kalmücken Legion or Kalmücken-Kavallerie-Korps (Kalmykian volunteers)
Tatar volunteers
Tatar Legion
SS-Waffengruppe Idel-Ural (Turkic volunteers from Volga/Ural area)
Waffen-Gebirgs-Brigade der SS (Tatar Nr. 1) (Tatar volunteers)
30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Russische Nr. 2) (Armenian & Tatar volunteer units)
Wolgatatarische Legion (Volga Tatars but also other volunteers from the region)
Tataren-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment der SS (Crimean Tatar volunteers)
Waffen-Gruppe Krim (Crimean Tatar volunteers)
Schutzmannschaft Battalion (Crimean Tatar volunteers)
Cossack volunteers
1. Kosaken-Kavallerie-Division (volunteers from Cossacks in Cherson, from February 1945 XV. SS-Kosaken-Kavallerie-Korps)
Kosaken-Reiter-Brigade Kaukasus II (Caucasus Cossack volunteers)
Kuban-Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 3 (Kuban Cossack volunteers)
Don-Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 5 (Don Cossack volunteers)
Terek-Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 6 (Terek Cossack volunteers)
Kosaken-Artillerie-Regiment 2 (Caucasian Cossack volunteers)
Sibirisches Kosaken-Reiter-Regiment 2 (Siberian Cossack volunteers)
XV. Kosaken-Kavallerie-Korps (Kotelnikovo Cossack volunteers)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 5 (Cossack volunteers)
Caucasian mixed volunteer units
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division (Georgian, Turkish, North Caucasian, Armenian & Azerbaijani volunteers)
Caucasian, Central Asian, Crimean and Ural mixed volunteer units
Waffen-Gruppe Turkistan
Waffen-Gruppe Idel-Ural
Waffen-Gruppe Azerbaijan
Waffen-Gruppe Krim
Propaganda newspapers for Caucasian and Cossack units
Azerbaijan
Azerbajçan – Azerbaijani Legion
Kalmykia
Kalmyckij Boec ("Kalmyk Soldier") – Kalmyk Cavalry Corps
Kosaken (Cossack Nation)
Kosaken-Illustrierte ("Cossack Illustrated") – 1st Cossack Cavalry Division (trilingual)
La terra dei cosacchi ("The Land of the Cossacks") – Cossack units in upper Italy
Krimtürken (Crimean Tatars)
Kirim ("Crimea") – Weekly paper for the Crimean Tatar volunteers, Berlin 1944–1945
Tataren (Tatar nation)
Deutsch-tatarisches Nachrichtenblatt ("German-Tatar News Journal") – Volga Tatar Legion, monthly publication, Berlin 1944–1945 (bilingual)
Turkestaner (Central Asian nation)
Yeni Türkistan ("New Turkestan") – Turkistan Legion
Svoboda ("Freedom") – 162nd Turkoman Division
Türk Birligi ("Turkish Unity") – Osttürkischer Waffen-Verband der SS, weekly publication, Berlin 1944–1945
German commanders of Central Asian, Caucasian and Cossack units
These German commanders also received honorary military or leading titles between their units at charge; for example Helmuth von Pannwitz received the title of "Ataman" from his Cossack units.
Generalleutnant Helmuth von Pannwitz
Oberst Hans-Joachim von Schultz
Oberstleutnant Günther von Steinsdorff
Oberst von Baath
Oberst Freiherr von Nolcken
Oberst Konstantin Wagner
Sonderführer Othmar Rudolf Wyrba a.k.a. "Dr. Doll" (German, Tibetan and Mongolian language expert; leader of the Kalmuck units)
Oberstleutnant Pipgorra
Oberst Raimund Hoerst
SS-Obersturmbannführer Andreas Meyer-Mader
SS-Hauptsturmführer Billig
SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann
SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve Franz Liebermann
SS-Hauptsturmführer Reiner Olzscha
SS-Hauptsturmführer Fürst
SS-Standartenführer Harun-el-Raschid Bey (of the central Asian legions; was a German who converted to Islam while serving as an advisor to Enver Pasha)
Generalmajor Prof. Dr. Oskar Ritter von Niedermayer
Generalleutnant Ralph von Heygendorff
German representative of the Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories
Otto Bräutigam
Central Asian, Caucasian and Cossack political leaders
Cossack Ataman General Pyotr Krasnov
Cossack Ataman General Andrei Shkuro
Cossack Ataman Vasili Glazkov
Kalmuk Prince Tundotov
Puppet governments and organizations in the USSR
Provisional Government of Lithuania
Zuyev Republic
Belarusian Central Council
Lokot Autonomy (later Lepel Republic)
Ukrainian National Government
Ukrainian National Committee
Provisional Popular Revolutionary Government of Chechnya-Ingushetia
Liberation Movement of the Peoples of Russia
Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia
North Caucasus National Committee
Turkestan National Committee
Patriotic Union Tetri Giorgi
Cossack Central Office
National Karachai Committee
Armenian National Committee
Kalmyk National Committee
Simferopol Muslim Committee
Tatar Committee
Eastern Turkish Council
Caucasian Council
Cossack National Liberation Movement
Main Board of the Cossack Forces
Russian Committee in Latvia
Belarusian Committee (Warsaw)
Belarusian Committee (Białystok)
Belarusian Representation
Belarusian Self-Help Committee
Belarusian National Center
Belarusian Cultural Assembly
Committee to Combat Bolshevism
Russian Committee
Caucasian Committee in the General Government
Commission for Cossacks
Gathering of the nations enslaved by Russia
Other
See also
Collaboration with the Axis Powers during World War II
Georgian uprising on Texel
Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts
Non-Germans in the German armed forces during World War II
361st Infantry Regiment (Wehrmacht) - recruited among Germans from the French Foreign Legion
Selbstschutz
References
Bibliography
Elizabeth M.F. Grasmeder, "Leaning on Legionnaires: Why Modern States Recruit Foreign Soldiers," International Security (July 2021), Vol 46 (No. 1), pp. 147–195.
Further reading
Elizabeth M.F. Grasmeder, "Leaning on Legionnaires: Why Modern States Recruit Foreign Soldiers," International Security (July 2021), Vol 46 (No. 1), pp. 147–195.
Crimea in World War II
History of the Caucasus under the Soviet Union
History of the Cossacks
History of the Turkic peoples