What is the Wehrmacht? The definition of this word has a broad meaning. In German, this term refers to any armed forces. But nowadays the word “Wehrmacht” is used to refer to the army of Nazi Germany. It included ground forces, navy and aviation. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Adolf Hitler's most daring move towards the world community was the formation of a modern army capable of conducting offensive operations. To implement grandiose plans to seize new territories, the Third Reich required numerous and well-organized armed forces.
Treaty of Versailles
After defeat in the First World War, Germany was forced to submit to the victorious countries, which imposed a number of severe restrictions on the size and equipment of its army. Under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, the maximum permissible number of German armed forces was 100 thousand people. Germany was prohibited from having submarines, heavy artillery and combat aircraft. The navy could include no more than 6 cruisers, 6 battleships and 12 destroyers. The new army, created during the era of the Weimar Republic, was called "Reichswehr", which literally means "imperial defense". In accordance with the peace treaty, the German government abolished universal conscription.
However, Germany secretly sought to rebuild its armed forces. Already in the twenties of the last century, she began to look for ways to circumvent the terms of the Versailles agreements. In the hope of a revival of combat aviation in the foreseeable future, secret schools were created to train military pilots.
The Nazis came to power
After the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, Adolf Hitler became head of state and holder of unlimited power. He took command of the armed forces. Soon, the entire personnel of the German army took a special oath, the text of which mentioned personal devotion to the Fuhrer.
In 1935, the Reichswehr was officially renamed the Wehrmacht. This was the beginning of an open violation of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Universal conscription was reintroduced in the country. Hitler announced plans for a large-scale rearmament of the German army. The Nazi government significantly increased the level of spending on the defense industry. It was supposed to bring the total number of Wehrmacht divisions to thirty-six, which most openly violated the terms of the Versailles agreements.
Personnel
The troops of the Third Reich were formed from volunteers and conscripts. All recruits were exclusively Germans. Residents of occupied countries were not subject to mobilization into the Wehrmacht. This rule was a consequence of fascist ideology, which proclaimed the superiority of the German nation. Even foreign volunteers were generally not allowed to join the German army.
This policy changed after the invasion of Hitler's troops into the Soviet Union. Propagandists of the Third Reich stated that the fight against world communism, waged by the Wehrmacht, is the concern of not only Germany, but also the European countries it occupied. German authorities began conscripting residents of the Netherlands and Poland for military service. On the territory of the USSR, the Wehrmacht included the so-called eastern legions, formed from Soviet citizens opposed to the communist regime.
SS troops
The combat units of the National Socialist Party were originally intended to ensure the personal safety of Adolf Hitler. Gradually, the small paramilitary organization turned into a full-fledged army, the number of which in 1945 reached 1 million people. SS divisions operated autonomously and were not part of the Wehrmacht. This made it difficult to exercise overall command of the armed forces of Nazi Germany. SS troops participated in combat operations and also committed acts of genocide. Subsequently, an international tribunal declared this organization criminal.
Air Force
Wehrmacht aviation, known as the Luftwaffe, was a key element of the offensive strategy that was used to capture Poland and France. The German Air Force primarily used fighters and small tactical bombers. Combat aviation closely interacted with ground forces. The huge number of fighters ensured air superiority. This made it possible to effectively bomb enemy command posts and supply lines.
Fleet
In historical sources, the naval forces of the Wehrmacht are usually called the Kriegsmarine. The main task of the fleet was to establish control over trade routes in the Atlantic, which were critical for the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. At the beginning of the war, German submarines managed to cause significant damage to the naval convoys of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. The Kriegsmarine forces destroyed over a thousand Allied ships. However, the advent of detection tools such as radars and sonars sharply reduced the effectiveness of Germany's use of submarines.
War crimes
Despite the fact that the Nuremberg Tribunal laid the bulk of the blame for violating all norms of international law on the SS divisions, and not on the Wehrmacht, photographs and other documentary evidence indicate the participation of the German army in punitive actions and mass executions.
After the surrender of Germany and the end of World War II, the Third Reich ceased to exist. Together with him, the Wehrmacht went down into history.
For some reason, it is believed that in June 1941, no less than 5 million Wehrmacht soldiers crossed the border with the USSR. This common myth is easily refuted.
The strength of the Wehrmacht in June 1941 reached:
7,234 thousand people (Müller–Hillebrandt) including:
1. Active Army – 3.8 million people.
2. Army Reserve – 1.2 million people.
3 . Air Force – 1.68 million people
4. SS troops – 0.15 million people
Explanation:
The reserve army, numbering 1.2 million people, did not participate in the aggression against the USSR. It was intended for military districts in Germany itself.
Civilian Hiwis were taken into account in the total number indicated above. At the beginning of the Second World War they did not actively participate in battles.
WHERE WERE THE WEHRMACHT TROOPS LOCATED?
The Wehrmacht in June 1941 had about 700,000 soldiers in France, Belgium and Holland in case of an Allied landing.
In the remaining occupation zones—Norway, Austria, Czechoslovakia, the Balkans, Crete, Poland—no less than almost 1,000,000 soldiers were taken from the Wehrmacht.
Riots and uprisings broke out regularly and to maintain order it was necessary to have a large number of Wehrmacht troops in the occupied territories
General Rommel's African Corps had about 100,000 people. The total number of Wermath troops in the Middle East region reached 300,000 people.
HOW MANY VERMATH SOLDIERS CROSSED THE BORDER WITH THE USSR?
Müller-Hillebrandt, in his book “German Land Army 1933-1945” gives the following figures for forces in the East:
1. In army groups (i.e. “North”, “Center” “South” - author’s note) - 120.16 divisions - 76 infantry, 13.16 motorized, 17 tank, 9 security, 1 cavalry, 4 light , 1st Mountain Rifle Division - the “tail” of 0.16 divisions arose due to the presence of formations that were not consolidated into divisions.
2. The OKH has 14 divisions behind the front of the army groups. (12 infantry, 1 mountain rifle and 1 police)
3. The Civil Code reserve includes 14 divisions. (11 infantry, 1 motorized and 2 tank)
4. In Finland - 3 divisions (2 mountain rifle, 1 motorized, another 1 infantry arrived at the end of June, but we will not count it)
And in total - 152.16 divisions, out of 208 divisions formed by the Wehrmacht. These include 99 infantry, 15.16 motorized, 19 tank, 4 light, 4 mountain rifle, 9 security, 1 police and 1 cavalry divisions, including SS divisions.
Really active army
According to Müller-Hillebrandt, of the 3.8 million active army, 3.3 million people were concentrated for operations in the East.
If we look at Halder’s “War Diary”, we will find that he defines the total number of the active army as 2.5 million people.
In fact, the figures are 3.3 million people. and 2.5 million people do not strongly contradict each other, since in addition to the divisions themselves in the Wehrmacht (as in any other army), there were a sufficient number of units listed in the active army but essentially non-combat (builders, military doctors, etc., etc. ).
3.3 million Müller-Hillebrandt includes both combat and non-combat units, and 2.5 million people. Galdera - only combat units. So we will not be much mistaken if we assume the number of Wehrmacht and SS combat units on the eastern front at the level of 2.5 million people.
Halder determined the number of combat units that could participate in hostilities against the USSR in June at 2.5 million people.
LEVELED FORMATION
Before the attack on the USSR, the German army had a clearly defined echelon formation.
The first, shock echelon - army groups "North", "Center" "South" - included 120 divisions, incl. 3.5 motorized SS divisions.
The second echelon - the operational reserve, so to speak - was located directly behind the fronts of the army groups and consisted of 14 divisions.
The third echelon is the reserve of the main command, which also includes 14 divisions.
That is, the attack came in three streams.
WEHRMACHT ALLIES
Most of them entered the war later than Germany and their participation at the very beginning was limited to only a few divisions.
Later, in 42-43, the size of the allied contingent of Dastigal was 800,000 people.
Most of the Allied troops were on the Eastern Front in 1943
RESULTS
In June 1941, 2.5 million soldiers crossed the border with the USSR. They were opposed by 1.8 million soldiers of the Red Army.
Directive No. 1 only supplemented the order to bring the troops to full combat readiness... but the generals sabotaged it.
On June 20, they sent most of the flying squadrons on vacation, and on June 21, most of the combat units went on a “weekend” with festivities, etc.
In aviation, tanks and other weapons, the Red Army was many times superior to the Wehrmacht.
The myth of the overwhelming superiority of the Wehrmacht can be considered destroyed.
In 1935, the main German armed forces were created, which bore the succinct name of the Wehrmacht. From German “wehr” is translated as “defense”, “weapon”, and the second part “macht” means “strength”, “army”, “power”. The Reichswehr became the foundation of the Wehrmacht. In this regard, the law “On the Construction of the Wehrmacht” was approved. It involved collecting taxes from every German citizen. This Law was completely contrary to the previously concluded Treaty of Versailles. According to it, the Wehrmacht should include 36 divisions, in which 500 thousand soldiers would serve.In 1935, the main German armed forces were created, which bore the capacious name Wehrmacht // Photo: pikabu.ru
Three years later, the OKW was created - Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - the Wehrmacht command. It had enormous powers and was subordinate to only one person - Adolf Hitler himself. The Fuhrer at that time was the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the aggressor country. It was to him that all personnel of the military group were obliged to take an oath of allegiance.
OKW consisted of four departments at once:
· operations department;
· Abwehr - department of military and counterintelligence;
· the economic department, responsible for ammunition and providing troops with food;
· general purpose department.
An experienced military man, Field Marshal General Wilhelm Keitel, was appointed the first commander of the Wehrmacht.
Command of German troops // Photo: collections.ushmm.org
Creation of the SS
The SS was also Hitler's brainchild. This organization was born much earlier than the Wehrmacht. Its origins took place in rather difficult conditions. In 1925, after his release from prison, the Fuhrer issued a decree that envisaged the formation of a group of people to protect him. Initially, the SS was supposed to consist of only 8 people.The Commander-in-Chief had the following idea: while the Wehrmacht would defend the Reich from the outside, the SS would do it from the inside. The latter was called the “cover squadron” - Schutzstaffel (SS). At the same time, Hitler believed that the size of the SS should not be ten percent of the peacetime military personnel.
The SS is the brainchild of Hitler, which was supposed to become his personal guard // Photo: hystory.mediasole.ru
External differences between intelligence services
First of all, the SS sheep differed from all others in the color of their uniform. It was deep black. It was considered one of the most important in Germany. Because uniforms of this color were worn by the “free riflemen” (Freischutzen), who in the 19th century gave a worthy rebuff to Napoleon’s army. Over time, the color black acquired some political meaning. Perhaps this happened because the officers of the Red Army wore black uniforms.Conflicts between intelligence services
There were a very large number of provocative situations that could lead to hostility between the SS and the Wehrmacht. One of the clearest examples of such a situation is when one of the Wehrmacht commanders in the battle of the Demyansk Pocket sent exclusively SS forces under fire. He carefully took care of his own personnel.The reason for the enmity was also the fact that while the Wehrmacht suffered from a shortage of food products, the SS literally feasted on their abundance. One of the officers once wrote in his personal diary: “Himler made sure that the entire SS staff received special food for the Christmas holidays. At this time we were finishing horse meat soup.”
The conflict between the commander of one of the SS regiments K. Mayer and Wehrmacht Lieutenant General E. Feuchtinger received especially great publicity. It occurred at the very beginning of the Normandy campaign. The young commander was decisive and rushed into battle without hesitation. At the same time, the allied forces under the command of the lieutenant general did not move. After investigating this situation, it turned out that personal hostility was to blame. In addition, the Wehrmacht officer was somewhat jealous of the success of the SS.
During the Second World War, SS divisions were considered selected formations of the armed forces of the Third Reich.
Almost all of these divisions had their own emblems (tactical, or identification, insignia), which were by no means worn by the ranks of these divisions as sleeve patches (rare exceptions did not change the overall picture at all), but were painted with white or black oil paint on divisional military equipment and vehicles, buildings in which the ranks of the corresponding divisions were quartered, corresponding signs in the locations of units, etc. These identification (tactical) insignia (emblems) of SS divisions - almost always inscribed in heraldic shields (which had a “Varangian” or “Norman” or tarch form) - in many cases differed from the lapel insignia of the ranks of the corresponding divisions.
1. 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler".
The division's name means "Adolf Hitler's SS Personal Guard Regiment." The emblem (tactical, or identification, sign) of the division was a tarch shield with the image of a master key (and not a key, as is often incorrectly written and thought). The choice of such an unusual emblem is explained quite simply. The surname of the division commander, Joseph (“Sepp”) Dietrich, was a “speaking” (or, in heraldic language, a “vowel”). In German, "Dietrich" means "master key". After "Sepp" Dietrich was awarded the Oak Leaves for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the division emblem began to be framed by 2 oak leaves or a semicircular oak wreath.
2. 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich".
The name of the division is “Reich” (“Das Reich”) translated into Russian means “Empire”, “Power”. The emblem of the division was the "wolfsangel" ("wolf hook") inscribed in the shield-tarch - an ancient German amulet sign that scared away wolves and werewolves (in German: "werewolves", in Greek: "lycanthropes", in Icelandic: " ulfhedin", in Norwegian: "varulv" or "varg", in Slavic: "vurdalak", "volkolakov", "volkudlakov" or "volkodlakov"), located horizontally.
3. 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (Totenkopf).
The division got its name from the SS emblem - “Death's (Adam's) head” (skull and crossbones) - a symbol of loyalty to the leader until death. The same emblem, inscribed in the tarch shield, also served as the identification mark of the division.
4. 4th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Police" ("Police"), also known as "(4th) SS Police Division".
This division received this name because it was formed from the ranks of the German police. The emblem of the division was the “wolf hook” - “wolfsangel” in a vertical position, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.
5. 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking".
The name of this division is explained by the fact that, along with the Germans, it was recruited from residents of Northern European countries (Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden), as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, Swiss, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish volunteers served in the ranks of the Viking division. The division’s emblem was a “scant cross” (“sun wheel”), that is, a swastika with arched crossbars, on a heraldic shield-tarch.
6. 6th mountain (mountain rifle) division of the SS "Nord" ("North").
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from natives of the Northern European countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia). The emblem of the division was the ancient German rune “hagall” (resembling the Russian letter “Zh”) inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch. The rune "hagall" ("hagalaz") was considered a symbol of unshakable faith.
7. 7th Volunteer Mountain (Mountain Rifle) SS Division "Prinz Eugen (Eugen)".
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Vojvodina, Banat and Romania, was named after the famous commander of the “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation” in the second half of the 17th and early 18th centuries. Prince Eugen (German: Eugen) of Savoy, famous for his victories over the Ottoman Turks and, in particular, for conquering Belgrade for the Roman-German Emperor (1717). Eugene of Savoy also became famous in the War of the Spanish Succession for his victories over the French and gained no less fame as a philanthropist and patron of the arts. The emblem of the division was the ancient German rune “odal” (“otilia”), inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, meaning “heritage” and “blood relationship”.
8. 8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer".
This division was named in honor of the imperial knight Florian Geyer, who led one of the detachments of German peasants (“Black Detachment”, in German: “Schwarzer Gaufen”), who rebelled against the princes (large feudal lords) during the Peasant War in Germany (1524-1526). , who opposed the unification of Germany under the scepter of the emperor). Since Florian Geyer wore black armor and his “Black Squad” fought under the black banner, the SS men considered him as their predecessor (especially since he opposed not only the princes, but also for the unification of the German state). Florian Geyer (immortalized in the drama of the same name by the classic of German literature Gerhart Hauptmann) died heroically in battle with the superior forces of the German princes in 1525 in the Taubertal Valley. His image entered German folklore (especially song folklore), enjoying no less popularity than, say, Stepan Razin in Russian song folklore. The emblem of the division was a naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with the tip up, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally, and a horse's head.
9. 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen".
This division was named after the dynasty of the Swabian dukes (since 1079) and the medieval Roman-German emperor-kaisers (1138-1254) - the Hohenstaufens (Staufens). Under them, the medieval German state (“Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”), founded by Charlemagne (in 800 AD) and renewed by Otto I the Great, reached the peak of its power, subjugating Italy to its influence, Sicily, the Holy Land and Poland. The Hohenstaufens tried, relying on the highly developed economically Northern Italy as a base, to centralize their power over Germany and restore the Roman Empire - “at least” - the Western (within the borders of the empire of Charlemagne), ideally - the entire Roman Empire, including the Eastern Roman (Byzantine), in which, however, they did not succeed. The most famous representatives of the Hohenstaufen dynasty are considered to be the crusader kaisers Frederick I Barbarossa (who died during the Third Crusade) and his great-nephew Frederick II (Roman Emperor, King of Germany, Sicily and Jerusalem), as well as Conradin, who was defeated in the fight against the Pope and Duke Charles of Anjou for Italy and beheaded by the French in 1268. The emblem of the division was a vertically naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with the tip up, superimposed on the capital Latin letter "H" ("Hohenstaufen").
10. 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg".
This SS division was named in honor of the German Renaissance commander Georg (Jörg) von Frundsberg, nicknamed the “Father of the Landsknechts” (1473-1528), under whose command the troops of the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation and the King of Spain Charles I of Habsburg conquered Italy and in 1514 took Rome, forcing the Pope to recognize the supremacy of the Empire. They say that the ferocious Georg Frundsberg always carried with him a golden noose, with which he intended to strangle the Pope if he fell into his hands alive. The famous German writer and Nobel Prize laureate Günter Grass served in the ranks of the SS division "Frundsberg" in his youth. The emblem of this SS division was the capital Gothic letter "F" ("Frundsberg") inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, superimposed on an oak leaf located diagonally from right to left.
11. 11th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Nordland" ("North Country").
The name of the division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from volunteers born in northern European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Estonia). The emblem of this SS division was a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a “sun wheel” inscribed in a circle.
12. 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend"
This division was recruited mainly from the ranks of the youth organization of the Third Reich "Hitler Youth" ("Hitler Youth"). The tactical sign of this "youth" SS division was the ancient German "solar" rune "sig" ("sowulo", "sovelu") inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a symbol of victory and the emblem of Hitler's youth organizations "Jungfolk" and "Hitlerjugend", from among the members of which were recruited as division volunteers, placed on a master key (“similar to Dietrich”).
13. 13th mountain (mountain rifle) division of the Waffen SS "Khanjar"
(often referred to in military literature as “Handshar” or “Yatagan”), consisting of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovinian Muslims (Bosniaks). "Khanjar" is a traditional Muslim edged weapon with a curved blade (related to the Russian words "konchar" and "dagger", also meaning bladed edged weapon). The emblem of the division was a curved khanjar sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, directed from left to right up diagonally. According to the surviving data, the division also had another identification mark, which was an image of a hand with a khanjar, superimposed on a double “SS” rune “sig” (“sovulo”).
14. 14th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Galician No. 1, since 1945 - Ukrainian No. 1); it is also the SS division "Galicia".
The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of the city of Lvov, the capital of Galicia - a lion walking on its hind legs, surrounded by 3 three-pronged crowns, inscribed in a “Varangian” (“Norman”) shield.
15. 15th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 1).
The division's emblem was originally a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield depicting the Roman numeral "I" above a stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division acquired another tactical sign - 3 stars against the backdrop of the rising sun. 3 stars meant 3 Latvian provinces - Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale (a similar image adorned the cockade of the pre-war army of the Republic of Latvia).
16. 16th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Reichsführer SS".
This SS division was named after Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler. The emblem of the division was a bunch of 3 oak leaves with 2 acorns at the handle, framed by a laurel wreath, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, inscribed in the shield-tarch.
17. 17th SS Motorized Division "Götz von Berlichingen".
This SS division was named after the hero of the Peasants' War in Germany (1524-1526), the imperial knight Georg (Götz, Götz) von Berlichingen (1480-1562), a fighter against the separatism of the German princes for the unity of Germany, the leader of a detachment of rebel peasants and the hero of the drama Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “Goetz von Berlichingen with an iron hand” (the knight Goetz, who lost his hand in one of the battles, ordered an iron prosthesis to be made for himself, which he controlled no worse than others - with a hand made of flesh and blood). The emblem of the division was the iron hand of Götz von Berlichingen clenched into a fist (crossing the tarch shield from right to left and from bottom to top diagonally).
18. 18th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Horst Wessel".
This division was named in honor of one of the “martyrs of the Hitler movement” - the commander of the Berlin stormtroopers Horst Wessel, who composed the song “Banners High”! (which became the anthem of the NSDAP and the “second anthem” of the Third Reich) and was killed by communist militants. The emblem of the division was a naked sword with the tip up, crossing the tarch shield from right to left diagonally. According to the surviving data, the division "Horst Wessel" also had another emblem, which was the Latin letters SA stylized as runes (SA = Sturmabteilungen, i.e. "assault troops"; "martyr of the Movement" Horst Wessel, in whose honor the division was named , was one of the leaders of the Berlin stormtroopers), inscribed in a circle.
19. 19th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 2).
The emblem of the division at the time of formation was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "II" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division acquired another tactical sign - an upright, right-sided swastika on the “Varangian” shield. The swastika - “fiery cross” (“ugunskrusts”) or “cross (of the thunder god) Perkon” (“perkonkrusts”) has been a traditional element of Latvian folk ornament from time immemorial.
20. 20th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Estonian No. 1).
The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of a straight naked sword with the tip up, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally and superimposed on the capital Latin letter “E” (“E”, that is, “Estonia”). According to some reports, this emblem was sometimes depicted on the helmets of Estonian SS volunteers.
21. 21st mountain (mountain rifle) division of the Waffen SS "Skanderbeg" (Albanian No. 1).
This division, recruited mainly from Albanians, was named after the national hero of the Albanian people, Prince George Alexander Kastriot (nicknamed by the Turks "Iskander Beg" or, for short, "Skanderbeg"). While Skanderbeg (1403-1468) was alive, the Ottoman Turks, who had repeatedly suffered defeats from him, could not bring Albania under their rule. The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of Albania, a double-headed eagle, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch (the ancient Albanian rulers claimed kinship with the basileus-emperors of Byzantium). According to surviving information, the division also had another tactical sign - a stylized image of the “Skanderbeg helmet” with goat horns, superimposed on 2 horizontal stripes.
22. 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa".
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Hungary and from Hungarians, was named after the Empress of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" and Austria, Queen of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Hungary, Maria Theresa von Habsburg (1717-1780), one of the most prominent rulers of the second half of the 18th century. The emblem of the division was an image of a cornflower flower inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with 8 petals, a stem, 2 leaves and 1 bud - (subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Danube Monarchy who wanted to join the German Empire, until 1918, wore a cornflower in their buttonhole - the favorite flower of the German emperor Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern).
23. 23rd Waffen SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Kama" (Croatian No. 2)
consisting of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovinian Muslims. “Kama” is the name of a traditional Balkan Muslim edged weapon with a curved blade (something like a scimitar). The tactical sign of the division was a stylized image of the astronomical sign of the sun in a crown of rays on the heraldic shield-tarch. Information has also been preserved about another tactical sign of the division, which was the Tyr rune with 2 arrow-shaped processes perpendicular to the trunk of the rune in its lower part.
24. 23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division Waffen SS "Netherlands"
(Dutch No. 1).
The name of this division is explained by the fact that its personnel were recruited mainly from the Netherlands (Dutch) Waffen SS volunteers. The emblem of the division was the “odal” (“otilia”) rune with lower ends in the shape of arrows, inscribed in the heraldic tarch shield.
25. 24th mountain (mountain rifle) division of the Waffen SS "Karst Jaegers" ("Karst Jaegers", "Karstjäger").
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from natives of the Karst mountain region, located on the border between Italy and Yugoslavia. The division's emblem was a stylized image of a "karst flower" ("karstbloome"), inscribed in a heraldic shield of the "Varangian" ("Norman") form.
26. 25th Grenadier (Infantry) Division Waffen SS "Hunyadi"
(Hungarian No. 1).
This division, recruited mainly from Hungarians, was named after the medieval Transylvanian-Hungarian Hunyadi dynasty, the most prominent representatives of which were János Hunyadi (Johannes Gounyades, Giovanni Vaivoda, 1385-1456) and his son King Matthew Corvinus (Matthias Hunyadi, 1443-1456). 1490), who heroically fought for the freedom of Hungary against the Ottoman Turks. The division's emblem was a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of an "arrow-shaped cross" - the symbol of the Viennese National Socialist Arrow Cross Party ("Nigerlashists") Ferenc Szálasi - under 2 three-pronged crowns.
27. 26th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Gömbös" (Hungarian No. 2).
This division, consisting mainly of Hungarians, was named after the Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Gyula Gömbös (1886-1936), a staunch supporter of a close military-political alliance with Germany and an ardent anti-Semite. The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of the same arrow-shaped cross, but under 3 three-pronged crowns.
28. 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Langemarck" (Flemish No. 1).
This division, formed from German-speaking Belgians (Flemings), was named after the site of a bloody battle that took place on Belgian territory during the Great (First World) War in 1914. The division's emblem was a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of a "triskelion" ("triphos" or "triquetra").
29. 28th SS Panzer Division. Information about the division's tactical sign has not been preserved.
30. 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Wallonia".
This division owed its name to the fact that it was formed mainly from French-speaking Belgians (Walloons). The emblem of the division was a heraldic shield-tarch with an image of a straight sword and a curved saber crossed in the shape of the letter “X” with the hilts up.
31. 29th Grenadier Infantry Division Waffen SS "RONA" (Russian No. 1).
This division - "Russian Liberation People's Army" consisted of Russian volunteers B.V. Kaminsky. The tactical sign of the division, applied to its equipment, judging by the surviving photographs, was a widened cross with the abbreviation “RONA” under it.
32. 29th Grenadier (Infantry) Division Waffen SS "Italy" (Italian No. 1).
This division owed its name to the fact that it consisted of Italian volunteers who remained loyal to Benito Mussolini after his release from prison by a detachment of German paratroopers led by SS Sturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny. The tactical sign of the division was a vertically located lictorial fascia (in Italian: “littorio”), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the “Varangian” (“Norman”) form - a bunch of rods (rods) with an ax embedded in them (the official emblem of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini) .
33. 30th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Russian No. 2, also known as Belarusian No. 1).
This division consisted mainly of former fighters of the Belarusian Regional Defense units. The tactical sign of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the double ("patriarchal") cross of the Holy Princess Euphrosyne of Polotsk, located horizontally.
It should be noted that the double (“patriarchal”) cross, located vertically, served as the tactical sign of the 79th Infantry, and located diagonally - the emblem of the 2nd motorized infantry division of the German Wehrmacht.
34. 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division (aka 23rd Waffen SS Volunteer Mountain Division).
The emblem of the division was a full-face deer's head on the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield.
35. 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Bohemia and Moravia" (German: "Böhmen und Mähren").
This division was formed from natives of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, who came under German control of the territories of Czechoslovakia (after Slovakia declared independence). The emblem of the division was a Bohemian (Czech) crowned lion walking on its hind legs, and an orb crowned with a double cross on a “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield.36. 32nd Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) SS Division "January 30".
This division was named in memory of the day Adolf Hitler came to power (January 30, 1933). The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) shield with the image of a vertically located “battle rune” - the symbol of the ancient German god of war Tyr (Tira, Tiu, Tsiu, Tuisto, Tuesco).
37. 33rd Waffen SS Cavalry Division "Hungaria", or "Hungary" (Hungarian No. 3).
This division, consisting of Hungarian volunteers, received the appropriate name. Information about the tactical sign (emblem) of the division has not been preserved.38. 33rd Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Charlemagne" (French No. 1).
This division was named in honor of the Frankish king Charlemagne ("Charlemagne", from the Latin "Carolus Magnus", 742-814), who was crowned in 800 in Rome as emperor of the Western Roman Empire (which included the territories of modern Northern Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and parts of Spain), and is considered the founder of modern German and French statehood. The division's emblem was a dissected "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with half a Roman-German imperial eagle and 3 fleurs de lys of the Kingdom of France.
39. 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Landstorm Nederland" (Dutch No. 2).
"Landstorm Nederland" means "Dutch Militia". The emblem of the division was the “Dutch national” version of the “wolf hook” - “Wolfsangel”, inscribed in the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield (adopted in the Dutch National Socialist movement by Anton-Adrian Mussert).
40. 36th SS Police Grenadier (Infantry) Division ("Police Division II")
consisted of German police officers mobilized for military service. The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) shield with the image of the “Hagall” rune and the Roman numeral “II”.
41. 36th Waffen SS Grenadier Division "Dirlewanger".
The emblem of the division was 2 hand grenades-"mackers" inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield, crossed in the shape of the letter "X" with the handles down.
In addition, in the last months of the war, the formation of the following new SS divisions, mentioned in the orders of the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler, was begun (but not completed):
42. 35th SS Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Police" ("Policeman"), also known as the 35th SS Grenadier (Infantry) Police Division. Information about the tactical sign (emblem) of the division has not been preserved.
43. 36th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS. No information about the division's emblem has been preserved.
44. 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Lützow".
The division was named in honor of the hero of the fight against Napoleon - Major of the Prussian army Adolf von Lützow (1782-1834), who formed the first volunteer corps in the history of the Wars of Liberation (1813-1815) of German patriots against Napoleonic tyranny ("Lützow's black huntsmen"). The tactical sign of the division was the image of a straight naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with the tip up, superimposed on the capital Gothic letter “L”, that is, “Lutzov”).
45. 38th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the SS "Nibelungen" ("Nibelungen").
The division was named after the heroes of the medieval German heroic epic - the Nibelungs. This was the original name given to the spirits of darkness and fog, elusive to the enemy and possessing countless treasures; then - the knights of the kingdom of the Burgundians who took possession of these treasures. As you know, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler dreamed of creating an “SS order state” on the territory of Burgundy after the war. The emblem of the division was the image of the winged Nibelungen invisibility helmet inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.46. 39th SS Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division "Andreas Hofer".
The division was named after the Austrian national hero Andreas Hofer (1767-1810), the leader of the Tyrolean rebels against Napoleonic tyranny, betrayed by traitors to the French and shot in 1810 in the Italian fortress of Mantua. To the tune of the folk song about the execution of Andreas Hofer - “Under Mantua in Chains” (German: “Zu Mantua in banden”), German Social Democrats in the twentieth century composed their own song “We are the young guard of the proletariat” (German: “Vir sind”) di junge garde des proletariats"), and the Soviet Bolsheviks - “We are the young guard of workers and peasants.” No information about the division's emblem has been preserved.47. 40th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Feldgerrnhalle" (not to be confused with the division of the same name of the German Wehrmacht).
This division was named after the building of the "Gallery of Commanders" (Feldgerrnhalle), in front of which on November 9, 1923, the Reichswehr and the police of the leader of the Bavarian separatists Gustav Ritter von Kahr shot a column of participants in the Hitler-Ludendorff putsch against the government of the Weimar Republic. Information about the division's tactical sign has not been preserved.48. 41st Waffen SS Infantry Division "Kalevala" (Finnish No. 1).
This SS division, named after the Finnish heroic folk epic, began to be formed from among Finnish Waffen SS volunteers who did not obey the order of the Finnish Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Baron Carl Gustav Emil von Mannerheim, issued in 1943, to return from the Eastern Front to their homeland and rejoin the Finnish army . No information about the division's emblem has been preserved.49. 42nd SS Infantry Division "Lower Saxony" ("Niedersachsen").
Information about the emblem of the division, the formation of which was not completed, has not been preserved.50. 43rd Waffen SS Infantry Division "Reichsmarshal".
This division, the formation of which began on the basis of units of the German air force (Luftwaffe), left without aviation equipment, flight school cadets and ground personnel, was named in honor of the Imperial Marshal (Reichsmarshal) of the Third Reich, Hermann Goering. Reliable information about the division's emblem has not been preserved.51. 44th Waffen SS Motorized Infantry Division "Wallenstein".
This SS division, recruited from ethnic Germans living in the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia and Slovakia, as well as from Czech and Moravian volunteers, was named after the German imperial commander of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Duke of Friedland Albrecht Eusebius Wenzel von Wallenstein (1583-1634), Czech by origin, the hero of the dramatic trilogy of the classic of German literature Friedrich von Schiller “Wallenstein” (“Camp Wallenstein”, “Piccolomini” and “The Death of Wallenstein”). No information about the division's emblem has been preserved.52. 45th SS Infantry Division "Varyag" ("Varager").
Initially, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler intended to give the name "Varangians" ("Varager") to the Nordic (Northern European) SS division, formed from Norwegians, Swedes, Danes and other Scandinavians who sent their volunteer contingents to help the Third Reich. However, according to a number of sources, Adolf Hitler "rejected" the name "Varangians" for his Nordic SS volunteers, seeking to avoid unwanted associations with the medieval "Varangian Guard" (consisting of Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Russians and Anglo-Saxons) in the service of the Byzantine emperors. The Fuhrer of the Third Reich had a negative attitude towards the Constantinople "Basileus", considering them, like all Byzantines, "morally and spiritually corrupt, deceitful, treacherous, corrupt and treacherous decadents", and did not want to be associated with the rulers of Byzantium.It should be noted that Hitler was not alone in his antipathy towards the Byzantines. Most Western Europeans fully shared this antipathy towards the “Romans” (even since the era of the Crusades), and it is no coincidence that in the Western European lexicon there is even a special concept of “Byzantinism” (meaning: “cunning”, “cynicism”, “meanness”, “ groveling before the strong and ruthlessness towards the weak,” “treachery”... in general, “the Greeks have been deceitful to this day,” as the famous Russian chronicler wrote). As a result, the German-Scandinavian division formed as part of the Waffen SS (which later also included the Dutch, Walloons, Flemings, Finns, Latvians, Estonians, Ukrainians and Russians) was given the name “Viking”. Along with this, on the basis of Russian White emigrants and former citizens of the USSR in the Balkans, the formation of another SS division began, called “Varager” (“Varangians”); however, due to the prevailing circumstances, the matter was limited to the formation in the Balkans of the “Russian (security) corps (Russian security group)” and a separate Russian SS regiment “Varyag”.
During the Second World War on the territory of Serbia in 1941-1944. In alliance with the Germans, the Serbian SS Volunteer Corps also operated, consisting of former soldiers of the Yugoslav royal army (mostly of Serbian origin), most of whom were members of the Serbian monarcho-fascist movement "Z.B.O.R.", led by Dmitrie Letic. The tactical sign of the corps was a tarch shield and an image of an ear of grain, superimposed on a naked sword with the tip down, located diagonally.
The German Wehrmacht became a symbol of the Second World War.
Consequences of Versailles
The Entente's victory over Germany culminated in the Treaty of Versailles, signed in Compiegne at the end of 1918. The incredibly difficult conditions of surrender were complemented by the demand for the actual liquidation of the army. The German Republic was allowed to have a small professional army, totaling one hundred thousand people, and an equally reduced naval force. The military structure created on the remains of the army was called Reichwehr. Despite such a small number, the Reichwehr, under the leadership of General von Seeckt, managed to become the base for the deployment of a new army of the Third Reich, and soon there were no those left who did not know what the Wehrmacht was.
Revival of the army
The coming to power of the National Socialists led by Hitler in 1933 was aimed at Germany's withdrawal from the rigid framework of the Treaty of Versailles. The Reichwehr had a highly trained and highly motivated personnel reserve to transform it into a real army. The Wehrmacht law, adopted shortly after Hitler took power, sharply expanded the scope of military development. Despite the envisaged increase in the armed forces by five times, in the first years it was not entirely clear what the Wehrmacht was. His appearance has not yet developed, distinguished by dynamic aggressiveness, high discipline and readiness to fight any enemy in any conditions. The Wehrmacht adopted the best traditions of the Prussian and German Imperial Army, in addition to which it received a powerful ideological base based on the ideology of National Socialism.
Military ethics in the era of fascism
Nazi ideology had a significant impact on the personnel and fate of the Wehrmacht. Many perceive him as a party army, whose main task was to spread National Socialism to the occupied territories. To some extent this was true. But life is more complex than dogma, and within the Wehrmacht the old Prussian and German military traditions remained in force. It was they who made him such a formidable opponent and a powerful instrument of Nazi domination. It is very difficult to formulate what the Wehrmacht is ideologically. It bizarrely combined soldier camaraderie and party fanaticism. Defense of Vaterland and construction of a new ideological Empire. The preservation of the corporate spirit of the Wehrmacht was facilitated by the creation of SS troops, which accumulated the most fanatical elements
The Wehrmacht's only war
The war demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of the army of Nazi Germany. When World War II began, the Wehrmacht represented the most powerful ground army in the world. An excellent personnel base and the highest motivation were complemented by the industrial and scientific potential of Germany and Austria. The course of the war proved the highest combat capabilities of this army. But it became clear with utmost clarity that the best tool was useless for achieving adventurous goals. The history of the best army at the beginning of World War II warns against the temptation to repeat the sad experience. The Reich was striving for war, and its army was a symbol of the word "war". The Wehrmacht as it is known today would not exist without her. The losses incurred during the battles changed the personnel composition. Instead of a highly professional army, the Wehrmacht increasingly acquired the features of the adventurous line of the Reich leadership posing the same impossible tasks. The restructuring of thinking from war to conquer territories to the defense of one’s own country in such conditions turned out to be impossible. As the fronts shrank, the rhetoric of propaganda changed, but its meaning did not change. The decline in professionalism, as a consequence of large losses, was not compensated by the influx of soldiers tuned to the defense of the state. At the end of the war, the Wehrmacht looked like a loose conglomerate of individual combat-ready units, blurred by a demoralized mass of conscripts and Volssturmists. They did not have time to adopt Prussian military traditions in order to become soldiers, and did not have the motivation to die for
Defeat and consequences
The defeat of Nazi Germany by 1945 became inevitable. When World War II ended, the Wehrmacht ceased to exist. Along with him, much of what formed the basis of the combat effectiveness of the German army became a thing of the past. Despite the declared anti-fascism, the Soviet Union most fully preserved the traditions and spirit of the Prussian army in the recreated army of the GDR. Perhaps this is explained by the deep commonality inherent in Russian even before the First World War. Many Wehrmacht soldiers and officers continued their service, passing on the old traditions. They managed to demonstrate this during the suppression of the Czechoslovak uprising of 1968. This event reminded us what the Wehrmacht was. The German army underwent a greater transformation to interact with the Anglo-American troops, which had a completely different structure and history.
