foreign volunteers in waffen ss

just interested.obviously a huge percentage of the waffen ss were foreign volunteers by the end of the war.
just wondering how many were forced into it and how many geniuinlely wanted to join the "crusade against bolshevism?"
did they believe in the cause?
how did they perform in combat? were there many desertions?

thanks

 

here's some data.. a european anabasis,western european volunteers in german army and ss 1940-1945

Latvian Waffen SS not Nazi Sympathizers

Finnish Waffen-SS volunteers

 

No online sources but I have a book that gives the breakdown on the numbers by nation. I will pull it out tonight.

 

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Finnish Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht in WWII

The Finns actually had a two-year contract in the Waffen-SS 1941-43, and those who were "sent" to Germany were recruited from the less-politically enthusiastic men. Those who had already served in the army , joined the Wiking and took part in Barbarossa from day one. The others took part in the Waffen-SS training and finally set towards east in Nov/Dec 1941. They drove their way to the Southern front in the winter weather from Ukraine to the Mius river. In spring 1943 Mannerheim considered the renewal of the contract impossible due to the manshortage of the Finnish front and most men returned to the Finnish Army. Some stayed in Waffen-SS until the end but there was no separate Finnish unit after summer 1943.

 

I never knew about a contract. I did know that Finland fought to get back what it lost to the Russians and did not want to fight any further which did not agree with Hitler. I believe he made numerous attempts and even paid a visit to Mannerheim to convince him otherwise.

 

This is a good book on the Dutch.

From Leningrad to Berlin: Dutch Volunteers in The German Waffen SS 1941-1945: Amazon.co.uk: Perry Pierik: Books

 

[SIZE=+3]Spanish Volunteers in the Waffen SS[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]Spanische-Freiwillegen Kompnie der SS 101/102[/SIZE]




I makes me sick just thinking about it, Dame Franco.

Spanish Volunteers in the Waffen SS


Nearly 350,000 non-German volunteers from no less than 16 occupied countries served willingly in Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS combat units from 1940-1945.

Hitler’s Foreign Legion: Waffen SS​

Non German Units in the Waffen SS During World War Two ​

Read more at Suite101: Hitler’s Foreign Legion: Waffen SS: Non German Units in the Waffen SS During World War Two http://militaryhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/hitler_s_foreign_legion__waffen_ss#ixzz0gTwoU5fb​

 

Plenty of Spanish volunteers, so much that a couple of divisions could have been created. Being that the Germans would have to arm them, they limited the amount to one division. My Grandfather was an early volunteer. A sign of the times

 

A sign of the Times you got that right. I have a book It states Franco never wanted to involve Spain in WWII since we were just recuperating From the Spain's Civil War. But because Germany helped him out he paid them Back in Metals and Troops So Not really volunteers but sent by Franco. But I read years ago that once Germany would be successful invading Britain he was going for Spain next.

 

You wouldn't imagine how many were "forced" volunteers. I remember reading "La Brigade Frankreich" by Mabire which clearly states some captured partisans were given the choice between being shot or join the SS...... The Waffen SS drilling center was based at Senheim near Strasbourg , Alsace and many Europeans whether voulunteers or not transited through that place .

 

Just like the Russians Captured in 43 The 272 division + many other German Infantry unites included numbers of Russians who had chosen service with the Wehrmacht over near-certain death in PoW camps.


" Many served willingly in Adolf Hitler's Waffen SS"
I don't know about that statement, More like fight for us or die is more like it.

 

Perhaps towards the end of the war but prior to 44', there were plenty of volunteers. Even after Franco's recall of the blue division/squadron azul, many wanted to stay and some did cross the border and re-enlisted. I would say that it would depend at what period of the war you are talking about. I would say that in 44-45, nobody wanted to serve at all.

 

I truly doubt if theres ever been one Dutchman forced to join waffen SS .
If someone decides to enter SS its on a strickly voluntary base only ...saying certain death in a POWcamp is a bad 'american' vision on things and in reality it never happened like that ! Like POW's were given a choice to join or die is a laugh really .
Even the georgians that later came in revolt on Texel joined as they were better off as going into a POWcamp .Not forced .

People were not ordered to join , its an individual choice to do so , even if it means camp doing not so . Most did join on religious grounds later in the war though , afraid of the Russian thread and communism in general , a fear well fed by catholic church !! Guess that answers why so many joined later in the war ..the russian troops were coming close !
Anyone chose to join waffen SS was considered a traitor by its home country ..
for whatever reason and from whatever country joining ...
So to answer the question ..100% were volunteers .

 

Towards the end of the war at least what I´ve read the huge losses of the main German Waffen-SS units were made good by men ordered from Luftwaffe ground troops units as an example. I would not call them truly them the politically motivated aryan top soldier as considered in the usual way. Or very voluntary either.

Also especially in the east men were lured by promises for their own countries´independence etc which were total lies. And the Baltic countries soldiers fought hard for their own country for instance in the Narva area. They did not fight for Hitler, they fought for their country and people.I believe once the battle was over there, many went hiding in the forests and fought the Red Army and communists there.

Also towards the end of the war there were several waffen-SS units created but the numbers in them were low and also the time on the battle field very short, so the division numbering does not show that there´d be more voluntary people joining than earlier in the war.Was it the 36th waffen-SS division that existed for 36 days??!

The same goes for Hitler´s superior idea: always make new divisions. According to the flags of units he had on his map it was counted in one book that he had some 10 million men in arms to fight the Allied around him if the units had full strength of men. Well, they didn´t.

Just some of my thoughts here...

 

The last division my grandfather was assigned to upon his release from Hospital was the 38th Waffen SS Division. It never received a divisional commander as it was assigned I believe up to 5 commanders in a 2 month span. He reported for duty in Apr 45'. The staff lead the 'division' which really number just over 5,000.

 

It did hapen though. Mabire has his sources form Charlemagne veterans.

If you need another example, I can quote the Das Reich with some of its Alsacians members who were forced to join (there has been a large trial after the war which made a clear distinction between the volunteers and those who weren't).

The most ironic thing is that their Training at Sankt Andreas in 1944 was a hard as usual (as if the war had never started and as if allied troops were not close) and more than two thirds of the future members were finally rejected despite a desperate need of new troops.

 

The most famous example i can think of were the georgians ..on Texel (Holland) they had enough and came in revolt (very bravely and were shot to the last man ) ..but however the storie is turned , these people did sign for it themselves , thats how they ended up in german service .Even though another choice meant going for a rough time theyre also volunteers .
You also state many normal applicants were refused as members , why then force people to join as totally undependable soldiers? I dont get it .No way these would end up at the front , the georgians were put way beyond enemy lines for that reason and so would the forced Charlemange members i suppose ..fact they had a long and strong training proves there were changes enough to find a way of escaping it all too ..those who didnt you cannot take serious ..
We had some SS here too after the war saying the same thing , and that they werent involved in killings too ..NIOD researchers are now publishing their diaries from the archives ; proves it was a total different history ...while the proof has been black on white in the archives all these years no one ever cared looking at it .(more convenient than bearing the shame??)
http://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/...e_Waffen-SS'ers_namen_deel_aan_Holocaust.html

Looking at Charlemanges history i can imagine very well many said they were forced .
Those were frontliners ...(like the dutch in wiking were too ) .
Its very offensive to those who died refusing . (just my personal opinion about it) .

 

This is a correct statement won't get an argument concerning that

44-45 is about right you have a book on that,

Your very well informed.

 

Don't know about this. My Grandfather's family were supporters of Franco. They thought that facism was the new order and Germany was the center of it. So my Grandfather was sent to school in Germany. There, he signed up with the Waffen SS at the time that they were doing a mass expansion. The family was thinking ahead.

It was true that Franco did not want to get directly involved in the war because of the state of the nation after the civil war.

 

Ok, here is the info on the book I was referencing earlier.

Hitler's Foreign Divisions: Foreign Volunteers in the Waffen SS 1940-1945
Chris Bishop
ISBN 1-904687-37-7

It covers the contribution by nation and then each foreign Waffen SS division/brigades. The states that approximately 350,000 foreign volunteers served within the ranks of the Waffen SS.