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,Ryszard Kaczmarek: Polacy w Wehrmachcie. Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 2010. 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.
Many Soviet citizens (Russians and other non-Russian ethnic minorities) joined the Wehrmacht forces as Hiwis (or Hilfswillige).Audrey L. Alstadt (2013). "The Azerbaijani Turks: Power and Identity under Russian Rule". p. 187. 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 participated in the formation of the Russian Liberation Army. Thousands of White exiles also fought and served within German units of the Wehrmacht both on the Eastern Front and in Europe. Non-Russians from the Soviet Union formed the Ostlegionen (literally "Eastern Legions"). The East Legions comprized a total of 175,000 personnel."Slaughter on the Eastern Front: Hitler and Stalin's War 1941-1945" Appendix 3 These units were all commanded by General Ernst August Köstring (1876−1953).Dermot Bradley, Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp: Die Generale des Heeres 1921–1945. Band 7: Knabe–Luz. Biblio Verlag, Bissendorf 2004, . 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."SS: Hitler's Foreign Divisions" description
These units were often under the command of German officers and some published their own propaganda newssheets.
Background
Soviet Union
Unit name Description Armenian Legion Mostly Soviet Armenians Azerbaijani Legion Mostly Soviet Azeris Georgian Legion Mostly Soviet Georgians Hiwi Soviet civilians and prisoners of war XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps Until 1 February 1945 under command of the Wehrmacht, then the Corps was transferred to the Waffen-SSRolf Michaelis: Die Waffen-SS. Mythos und Wirklichkeit. Michaelis-Verlag, Berlin 2001, p. 36 Kalmykian Voluntary Cavalry Corps Mostly Kalmyks Litauische Bau-Bataillonen Mostly conscripted Lithuanians Fatherland Defense Force Land unit composed of Lithuanians Luftwaffen-Legion Lettland Air unit composed of Latvians. Nachtigall Battalion Ukrainians of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists Ostlegionen Consisting mostly of Caucasians Roland Battalion A.k.a. Special Group Roland. Second Polish Republic citizens of Ukrainian ethnicity Russian Liberation Army Mostly ethnic Russians Russian People's Liberation Army Mostly ethnic Russians (1944 transferred to Waffen-SS) 162nd Turkoman Division Formed in May 1943 and comprised 5 Azeri and 6 Turkestani artillery/infantry units. Ukrainian Liberation Army Ukrainians Ukrainian National Army Ukrainians
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, Kyrgyzs & 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 and Volga-Finns) Tataren-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment der SS (Crimean Tatar volunteers) Waffen-Gruppe Krim (Crimean Tatar volunteers) Schutzmannschaft Battalion (Crimean Tatar volunteers)
Cossack volunteers 1st Cossack Division (volunteers from Cossacks in the Soviet Union, from February 1945 XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps) Kazachi Stan, a mobile encampment and a combat formation composed of Cossack collaborators and their dependents 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) Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 5 (Cossack volunteers)
Caucasian mixed volunteer units Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division (Georgian, Turkish, North Caucasian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Iranian volunteers)
Caucasian, Central Asian, Crimean and Ural mixed volunteer units
Waffen-Gruppe Turkistan Waffen-Gruppe Idel-Ural Waffen-Gruppe Azerbaijan Waffen-Gruppe Krim
Europe
Balkan volunteers 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division 392nd (Croatian) Infantry Division 369th Croatian Reinforced Infantry Regiment Croatian Naval Legion Croatian Air Force Legion Croatian Anti-Aircraft Legion Russian Protective Corps Serbia Montenegrin Volunteer Corps
Belgian volunteers Walloon Legion, 1941–1943 (subsequently transferred to the Waffen-SS) Walloon Guard
Estonian volunteers Starting in August 1941, the Wehrmacht recruited six Security Groups (battalions No. 181-186, about 4,000 men), subordinate to the 18th Army on one-year contracts. After the above contract expired, some volunteers transferred to the Waffen-SS or returned to civilian life, and three Eastern Battalions (No. 658-660) were formed from those who remained. They served in the rear of the 18th Army until early 1944, after which their members transferred to the 20th Waffen-SS Division.
French volunteers Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism Légion impériale
Lithuanian volunteers Fatherland Defense Force
Spanish volunteers Blue Division Blue Legion
Middle East
Free Arabian Legion Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 1 (Turkish volunteers)
Other Indian Legion Malgré-nous Military enrolment in German-occupied Poland
See also Collaboration with the Axis Powers during World War II Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts Selbstschutz - ethnic-German self-protection units formed in the lead-up to World War II
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.