Western European Volunteers in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS

Not wanting to take the 'Role Resistance in Western Europe' off topic, I thought I may post this link here given the discussion on that thread with regards to Western European volunteers in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.


Western Volunteers in the Heer & Waffen-SS

Norwegian 6500
Danish 7000
Dutch 27,000
Flemish 10,000
Walloon 5000
French 10,000
Spanish 36,400
TOTAL 101,900

"Excluding the roughly 40,000 Spanish, French, and Walloons who served only in the German Army, the 62,000 men of the "Western European SS" barely exceeded ten per cent of the entire Waffen-SS at its peak strength in June 1944. Given the fact that almost one million men served in the Waffen-SS during the war, and that about half of the Western volunteers shouldered arms in the last two years of the war, one must conclude that their numbers may not have justified the efforts made by the Germans to recruit them."

"The question may well be raised, Could the Germans have made better use of military collaboration? Certainly, it would seem that an early relaxation of Waffen-SS racial standards and the genuine offer of a measure of autonomy in Hitler's New Order in return for participation in the campaign against Bolshevism might have produced higher numbers of volunteers than the collaborationist parties and leaders were actually able to do. If larger, multi-national units had been equipped and trained with meticulous care—as was the case with the elite 1940 SS Wiking Division and the 1943 SS Assault Brigades—and sent into the decisive phases of the campaign, the popular enthusiasm for and reception of wartime propaganda might have been most rewarding. "


I would urge anyone with a passing interest in this topic to read the following article from which the above extracts are taken.

A European Anabasis — Western European Volunteers in the German Army and SS, 1940-1945

Particuarly noteworthy is the number of volunteers with previous criminal records...

 

By far there would have been more volunteers if Germany had not focused on the anti-semitic message but rather an anti-communist one. That is the reason why my grandfather and fellow Spaniards joined up. They envisioned a new order in Europe. A true National Socialist new order. But alas, they were duped by Hitler and his lies. As such, all paid a very heavy price.