List of Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts



The Waffen-SS ("Armed SS") was created as the armed wing of the Nazi Party's Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron"; SS). It grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, and served alongside the Heer (regular army) but was never formally part of it. By 1945, the Waffen-SS had developed into a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of Nazi Germany, its divisions manned by volunteers and conscripts from across Europe.

When Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in 1933, a number of paramilitary organizations already existed, namely the Sturmabteilung ("Storm Detachment"; SA) and Schutzstaffel ("Protection Squad"; SS). Together, these two groups numbered more than three million men, a fact which deeply troubled the traditional officer corps of the German Army. In 1933, a group of 120 loyal SS men were chosen to form the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. A year later, Hitler approved the formation of the SS-Verfügungstruppe, which, together with the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, made up the early elements of what would eventually became the Waffen-SS. It was Hitler's wish that unit should never be integrated into the army nor the state police, but remain an independent force of military-trained men at the disposal of the Führer in times of both war and peace. It was commanded by Heinrich Himmler in his capacity as Reichsführer-SS.

The Waffen-SS was initially given the lowest priority for recruits and its members were regarded as "amateur soldiers" by the regular army. The Germanic Waffen-SS divisions had extremely tough entry requirements; out of every 100 applicants, only 7 were accepted. Josef Dietrich, a high ranking SS general, insisted that all men of the Waffen-SS would have to be mature, a minimum height of 180 cm, between the ages of 23 to 35, in superb physical condition, and have a perfect ancestry record, with no hint of Jewish blood.

Initially, only Germans that belonged to the Aryan race were allowed to join the Waffen-SS, but due to shortage of manpower when events turned against the Axis powers the Nazis dropped their racial restrictions and allowed foreign volunteers and conscripts to form Waffen-SS divisions. The Nazis instructed all members of the Waffen-SS to fight against "Bolshevik subhumans".

For all its expenditure and training, the Waffen-SS did not see actual combat until Germany invaded Poland, effectively starting World War II in Europe. It was then only about 10,000 men strong. When Germany next turned West to conquer France and the Low Countries in 1940, the Waffen-SS had expanded to 100,000. That same year, Himmler opened up membership for people he regarded as being of "related stock", which resulted in a number of right wing Scandinavians signing up to fight in the Waffen-SS. When the Germans turned East and invaded the Soviet Union in the biggest military operation in history, further volunteers from France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, and the Balkans signed up to fight for the Nazi cause. After 1942 when the war turned decisively against the Nazi Germany, further recruitment from the occupied territories signed up to fight for the Nazis. Eventually units consisting of Russians, Indians, Arabs and even Britons were created. At its peak, the Waffen-SS numbered almost a million men (38 divisions) from across Europe. After the war, the unit was banned and declared a criminal organization for its heavy involvement in war crimes.

Albania

 * Albania: 9,000+ volunteers and conscripts
 * 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
 * 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg
 * 50th Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment of the SS
 * 51st Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment of the SS
 * 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
 * 1st Battalion of the 28th Waffen Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Infantry) Regiment of the SS

British Commonwealth

 * British Commonwealth: 50+ volunteers and conscripts
 * British Free Corps

Belgium

 * Flemish: 20,000+
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
 * 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland
 * SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest
 * 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck
 * 6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck
 * 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien
 * 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
 * Algemeene-SS Vlaanderen
 * Walloons: 20,000+
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien

Bulgaria

 * Bulgaria: 700+
 * Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (1st Bulgarian)

Czechoslovakia

 * Czechoslovakia (the exact number of ethnic Slovaks and Czechs is unknown)
 * 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian)

Denmark

 * Denmark: 8,000 to 12,000 in the
 * Free Corps Denmark (The Danish Legion)
 * HIPO Corps
 * Schalburg Corps
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmark

Finland

 * Finland: 2,500 in the
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

France

 * France: 18,000 to 22,000 in the
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * Fenet battalion (see: Henri Joseph Fenet)
 * 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
 * 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel
 * 8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France
 * 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien
 * 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
 * Der bretonische Waffenverband der Waffen-SS (Bezen Perrot)

Hungary

 * Hungary: 40,000 in the
 * 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian)
 * 26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Hungarian)
 * 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division
 * 'Szálasi' Hungarian SS Grenadier Battalion
 * 33rd Waffen Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian)
 * 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow

India

 * India: 2,500 in the
 * Indisches Freiwilligen Infanterie Regiment 950 or "Tiger Legion"

Ireland

 * Ireland: Irish Brigade, SS Jagdverband

Italy

 * Italy: 18,000 in the
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS
 * 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) (Legione SS Italiana or Italia)
 * 1. Sturmbrigade Italienische Freiwilligen Legion
 * 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division

Luxembourg

 * Luxembourg: 3,000+ in the
 * Conscripts of the Waffen-SS (until September 1944)
 * Volunteers of the Waffen-SS

Netherlands

 * Netherlands: 45,000 to 55,000 in the
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian)
 * 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
 * 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland
 * SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest
 * 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland
 * SS Volunteer Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

Norway

 * Norway: 6,000 to 15,000 in the
 * Volunteer Legion Norway (Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen)
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 6th SS Mountain Division Nord
 * SS-Skijeger-Bataljon Norge
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 "Norge" (1st Norwegian)
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

Romania

 * Romania: 55,000 in the
 * 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
 * Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (1st Romanian)
 * Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (2nd Romanian)"
 * SS Panzer-Zerstörer-Regiment (rumänische Nr. 2)
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
 * 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer

Spain

 * Spain: 3,000 in the
 * Blue Legion
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101
 * Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 102
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS
 * 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien

Sweden

 * Sweden: 180 to 500 in
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * 3rd Mechanized Infantry Company of the SS Armoured Reconnaissance Detachment 11 (known as Swedenzug = Sweden Platoon)
 * 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

Switzerland

 * Switzerland: 800+ in the
 * SS-Hauptamt
 * 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
 * 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
 * SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11
 * 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers

Armenia

 * Armenia: 2,000 to 4,000 in the
 * Kaukasische Waffen-Verband der SS
 * Stab Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS
 * Stab Waffen-Gruppe Armenien
 * Stab Waffen-Gruppe Nordkaukasus
 * Stab Waffen-Gruppe Georgien
 * Stab Waffen-Gruppe Aserbeidschan

Azerbaijan

 * Azerbaijan: 70,000 in the
 * Azeri SS Volunteer Formations
 * Stab Waffen-Gruppe Aserbeidschan

Estonia

 * Estonia: 20,000 in the
 * Estonian Legion
 * 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
 * 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian)
 * See also: Finnish Infantry Regiment 200

Georgia

 * Georgia: 3,000 to 10,000 in the
 * SS-Waffengruppe Georgien

Latvia

 * Latvia: 55,000 in the
 * Latvian Legion
 * 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
 * 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)

North Caucasus

 * North Caucasus: 1,000 to 2,000 in
 * SS-Waffengruppe Nordkaukasus

Russia

 * Russia (& Belarus): 25,000 in the
 * 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian)
 * Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski
 * Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA (7000 soldiers)
 * 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarussian)
 * Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
 * 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (SS-Sonderbrigade "Dirlewanger")
 * Cossack: 23,000 in the
 * XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps
 * 1st SS Cossack Cavalry Division
 * 1st Cossack Division
 * 2nd Cossack Division
 * Turkic: 12,000 in the
 * Tatar Legions
 * Osttürkische Waffen-Verbände der SS
 * Waffengruppe Turkestan
 * Waffengruppe Aserbeidschan (2,851 soldiers)
 * Waffengruppe Idel-Ural
 * Ostmuselmanisches SS-Regiment
 * Tatarische SS
 * Waffen-SS Mountain Brigade (Tatar No. 1) (Waffen-Gebirgs-Brigade der SS (tatarische Nr. 1)) (3518 soldiers)
 * Waffengruppe Krim
 * 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (SS-Sonderbrigade "Dirlewanger")
 * Aserbeidschanisches Infanterie-Bataillon I/111 (commissioned to the Dirlewanger Brigade in the summer of 1944 for about 3 months)

Ukraine

 * Ukraine: 20,000 in the
 * 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Ukrainian)
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS
 * 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
 * Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
 * 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS
 * SS-Kampfgruppe "Beyersdorff"

United States

 * United States of America: 15 to 20 in the
 * SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers and also in
 * various SS-Volunteer-Divisions (there was not an American Legion)

Croatia and Bosnia

 * Croatia (includes Muslims): 20,000 in the
 * V SS Mountain Corps
 * 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
 * SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 13 „Artur Phleps“
 * 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
 * 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian)
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS

Serbia

 * Serbia: 10,000 in the
 * V SS Mountain Corps (Serbian Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans))
 * 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen (Serbian Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans))
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS (Serbian Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans))

Slovenia

 * Slovenia: 6,000 in the (among others)
 * 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS