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SS Hitler's Foreign Divisions: Foreign Volunteers in the Waffen SS 1940-1945
The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the elite of Hitler's armies in World War II, but some of the most fanatical of these were not even German. Hitler's Foreign Divisions is an in-depth examination of the approximately 350,000 foreign volunteers from German-occupied countries who opted to fight for the Third Reich as members of the Waffen-SS. The book explores the background to their recruitment and describes-on a unit-by-unit basis-their history, structure, and combat record in the war.
Despite their non-Germanic background, the Norwegians, Dutch, Danes, Belgians, Latvians, Estonians, Cossacks, Ukrainians, and other nationalities-often motivated by an extreme anti-Communist zeal- fought hard on the Eastern Front for the Nazi cause, even when their position was hopeless. Often treated badly by their German commanders, the foreign SS units were not all excellent combat formations, however. some, like the British and Indian volunteers, were used for propaganda purposes only, while others, like the notorious Dirlewanger Brigade, who helped brutally suppress the Warsaw Rising, were nothing more than murderous criminals in uniform. Other divisions-such as the Russian-recruited 30th Waffen- Grenadier Division der SS, formed in the final months of the war-never reached a functional strength, and were disbanded before they saw action.
Illustrated with rare photographs and written by an acknowledged expert, Hitler's Foreign Divisions is a definitive history of the foreign SS units who fought for Hitler and Germany in World War II.
Despite their non-Germanic background, the Norwegians, Dutch, Danes, Belgians, Latvians, Estonians, Cossacks, Ukrainians, and other nationalities-often motivated by an extreme anti-Communist zeal- fought hard on the Eastern Front for the Nazi cause, even when their position was hopeless. Often treated badly by their German commanders, the foreign SS units were not all excellent combat formations, however. some, like the British and Indian volunteers, were used for propaganda purposes only, while others, like the notorious Dirlewanger Brigade, who helped brutally suppress the Warsaw Rising, were nothing more than murderous criminals in uniform. Other divisions-such as the Russian-recruited 30th Waffen- Grenadier Division der SS, formed in the final months of the war-never reached a functional strength, and were disbanded before they saw action.
Illustrated with rare photographs and written by an acknowledged expert, Hitler's Foreign Divisions is a definitive history of the foreign SS units who fought for Hitler and Germany in World War II.
- GenresWorld War II
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2005
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 2, 2021
I learned a lot from this quick read. I enjoyed the plethora of photos and the information is well-researched. The book further elaborates on the units and their names, their recruitment, and the structure/combat history of the various foreign units. The SS's hands went as far as Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Republic and into the Baltic region of Estonia and Lavtia. The Germans recruited from the various peoples who hated communism like the Cossacks, Ukrainians, and even a Russian unit named 30th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division der SS.
I thought the information was clearly presented and readable. Great book.
I thought the information was clearly presented and readable. Great book.
March 4, 2008
Good reference, but don't read for enjoyment.
September 24, 2022
Very informative
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews