Foreign volunteers in the Wermacht

During World War II, many military units formed of non-Russian volunteers were engaged on the Axis side on the Eastern Front and other theatres. These units were often under the command of German officers and some published their own propaganda newssheets.

Soldier of the Free Arabian Legion in Greece, September 1943.

Middle East and Central Asia
  • Legion Freies Arabien (Arab volunteers)
    • Deutsch-Arabische Lehr-Abteilung (Arab volunteers)
    • Deutsch-Arabisches Bataillon Nr. 845 (Arab volunteers)
  • Osttürkischer Waffen-Verband der SS or 1. Ostmuselmanisches SS-Regiment (Central Asia volunteers)
  • Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 1 (Turkish volunteers)

Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian volunteers
Further information: Azeri SS Volunteer Formations

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)
  • Turkestanische 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)
  • 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 of 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
Main article: Ostlegionen
  • 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.

German representative of the Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories

Central Asian, Caucasian and Cossack political leaders

Central Asian, Caucasian and Cossack political organizations
  • Cossack Central Office
  • National Karachai Committee

See also

References
  • Jurado, Carlos Caballero (1985). Foreign volunteers of the Wehrmacht 1941-45. London: Osprey. ISBN 0850455243. OCLC 13216649.
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