AUSTRIA

On 12th of March 1938 German troops

marched into Austria to annex the German-

speaking nation into the Third Reich.

It was a blatant violation of the Versailles

Treaty signed at the end of the First World War,

which forbade the merger of both countries for

fear of excessively strengthening Germany.

14

APRIL 1938 – Austria, with the approval of the Aus-AUSTRIA –

trian people, who historically and linguistically were NOT A VICTIM BUT HITLER’S COLLABORATOR

a part of the German nation, merged into the German Third Reich . The Austrian administration was ab-

Are there words that could describe our feelings? Can sorbed into the administration of the German Third

the heart and eyes grasp the enthusiasm and joy, that Reich . The Austrian government and the Austrian

after such a long absence the Fuhrer is back in our people accepted as their own rulers, the German Na-

capitol?

tional-Socialist Workers Party of Austria – Deutsche Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs Cried the Austrian radio commentator in Haldenplatz (DNSAPÖ), which joined the structures of the Third in Vienna1 .

Reich . With the merger of Austria with Germany, the Austrian armed forces became part of the joint Ger-FEBRUARY 1938 – in line with the country’s pro-German-Austrian army of the German Third Reich . The man sentiments the Chancellor of Austria, Kurt Austrians joined the army of the Third Reich contrib-Schuschnigg, met with Adolph Hitler . The Chancellor uting 22 divisions and 12 spare regiments2 . Austrians pledged to hold a referendum on the annexation of provided the German Reich, the majority of the archi-Austria to Germany and the extension of power of the tects and executors of crimes committed during their Austrian Nazis from the Deutsche Nationalsozialis-fascist terror:

tische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs (DNSAPÖ) [German • Adolph Hitler was born and raised in the Aus-National-Socialist Workers Party of Austria] .

tro-Hungarian Empire;

MARCH 1938 – Hitler without waiting for the referen-

• Proportionally to the population, the Austrians dum, ordered the German army to march into Austria; constituted the largest group among concentration and majority of Austrians enthusiastically received their camp staff, extermination camps and in senior po-German brothers .

sitions in the SS;

1 Sławomir Szof, „Anschluss Austrii” – audycja z cyklu „Dźwiękowy przewodnik po historii naj nowszej – Niem-cy . Polskie Radio 1998 .

2 Encyklopedia II wojny światowej. Warszawa 1975, s. 47; Czesław Madajczyk, Faszyzm i okupacja 1939-1945, Warszawa 1984 .

Hitler announces Anschluss (annexation) of Austria in Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square), Vienna on 15th March 1938

(Photo: Wikipedia/bundesarchiv/creative commons) 15

CROATIA

Support for Hitler:

Volunteers: 74,000

Including 20,000 volunteers for the SS

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia

and

Herzegovina

Serbia

Yugoslavia

Monte-

negro

Macedonia

22

On December 1, 1918, the kingdoms of the Serbs, Cro-of June 1941, the Danica and Kruščica camps were ats and Slovenes (SHS) were created on the ruins of the established in Croatia, where communists, political Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the former Europe-prisoners and Jews were deported . In the autumn of an possessions of the Turks and in 1929 adopted the 1941, the Jasenovac-Stara Gradiška extermination camp name Yugoslavia . On 6 April 1941 the Third German was established and became known as the “Yugoslav Reich invaded Yugoslavia . On 10 April 1941 Croatia an-Auschwitz”. Some 19,000 Croatian Jews were murdered nounced its independence and became an independent there . In August 1942, a mass deportation of about state under the protectorate of Germany . Within days, 5,000 Croatian Jews began . They were transported to the new state joined the Pact of Three, declaring war German-Austrian extermination centers built by the on Britain and became Hitler’s ally .

Third Reich in [Translator’s note – German occupied]

Poland, primarily to KL Auschwitz . In May 1943, an-MILITARY COLLABORATION

other deportation was carried out . Following these Prior to World War II, pro-German fascist (Ustase) deportations, the only Jews remaining in Croatia, were were operating in Croatia under the command of Ante those who qualified as honorary Aryans, or those who Pavelic, who assumed power in Croatia after indepen-were recognized as important to the Croatian state and dence . It is estimated that from 1941 to 1945 the Ustase bearing a special letter . In total, around 39,000 Croatian of Ante Pavelic could have murdered between 500,000 Jews perished during World War II; three quarters, and a million people . More than half of their victims approximately 30,000, were murdered by the Croatian were Serbs8 .

Ustase of Ante Pavelic10 . It is estimated that around Croatian volunteers: SS – 20,000 (13 Volunteer Bos-only seven to nine thousand Jews survived the war .

nia-Herzegovina Mountain Divisions; Croatian One; a division of European Muslims with local Volks-PUNISHMENT FOR HELPING JEWS

deutsch and Catholic Croats, who incidentally wore The penalty for hiding Jews was not specified.

Muslim fez hats instead of traditional hats, and adopted the name of the 13th Mountain Division of the END OF THE WAR

SS Handschar, that is derived from the Croatian word After the end of the war on May 9th 1945, Croatia was handzar meaning Turkish saber . Wehrmacht: around incorporated back into Yugoslavia . Josip Broz Tito, 20,000 volunteers in three Croatian infantry divisions . a Croatian, became the head of the new state . Croatia In addition, approximately 32,000 volunteers served however lost its independence and found itself in the in the police forces of the Third Reich and 1,800 in the communist bloc . Croatia did not regain its indepen-Italian army9 .

dence until 1991, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina The Third Reich was also supported by two volunteer in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Croatian fighter formations, a bomber squadron and 350 communist bloc in 1989 .

soldiers of the Croatian Maritime Legion in Kriegsmarine .

THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS

THE EXTERMINATION OF JEWS

In 1941, about 35,000 to 40,000 Jews lived within the borders of the independent state of Croatia . By April 1941, Croatia had already introduced a racial law on purity of blood that ordered the Jews to wear a band with the Star of David and thus defined Jews in racial terms . Uniquely however, Jews who were in mixed marriages and so-called half-Jews qualified as so-called honorary Aryans, and were not included in this group . They were treated more gently and did not suffer persecution . The next stage of anti-Jewish policy in the country came with the expulsion of Jews from Soldiers of the Croatian Muslim formation Waffen-the cities into concentration camps . At the beginning SS Handschar (Fot. Wikipedia/Domena publiczna) 8 Wojciech Rodak, Ustasze i Ante Pavelić. Wszystkie zbrodnie chorwackich faszystów, „Nasza Historia, Warszawa, 15

października 2019.

9 Chris Bishop, Zagraniczne formacje SS – Zagraniczni ochotnicy w Waffen-SS 1940- 1945, Warszawa 2005, s . 99-104 .

10 Wojciech Rodak, Ustasze.. .

23

Chapter III

HITLER’S COLLABORATORS

AMONGST THE

OCCUPIED COUNTRIES

ALBANIA

Support for Hitler:

7,000 volunteers in SS

1,000 as part of the Albanian militia Vulnetara

Albania

36

ITALIAN OCCUPATION

On April 7 1939, in breach of international obligations, the Italians occupied Albania and overthrew the Albanian King Zogu I, who had fled to Greece. On April 16 1939, the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, pro-claimed himself King of Albania . After 1941, part of Kosovo and Chameria were incorporated into the Albanian protectorate .

GERMAN-AUSTRIAN OCCUPATION

From September 10 1943, after the capitulation of Italy, Albania was occupied by German and Austrian troops . There was a strong resistance movement, espe-cially the communist one .

ADMINISTRATIVE COLLABORATION

During the years 1939-43, Albania formed an integral part of Italy . After the occupation of Albania by the Germans and Austrians, the Albanian administration began to cooperate with the occupiers .

POLITICAL COLLABORATION

After the occupation of Albania in 1943, the Germans and Austrians established a puppet Albanian government with the police and the army . The fascist National Union ( Balli Kombetar) was active in Albania .

Albanians in Waffen-SS Skanderbeg

MILITARY COLLABORATION

After the occupation of Kosovo in 1943, the Germans THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS

and the Austrians organized a paramilitary militia THE EXTERMINATION OF JEWS

called Vulnetara consisting of 1,000 Albanians . It’s task About 500 Jews lived in Albania before the war . After was ethnic cleansing aimed at Jews, Serbs, Gypsies and Kosovo and parts of Macedonia were incorporated into people of other nationalities . 7,000 Albanian volunteers Albania in April 1941, the number of Jews increased served in the 21st Mountain Division of Waffen-SS significantly (refugees from Macedonia, Serbia, Ger-Skanderbeg (1st Albanian); the core of the formation many, Austria and Poland) . The occupation of Albania was a reinforced battalion of about 300 Albanians by the Third Reich in November 1943 changed the who had previously served in the 13th SS Division . position of the Jews, whose number is estimated at 800-The Albanian division gained notoriety . Most of the 2,000 . It is estimated that several hundred Albanian Albanians serving in the SS did not want to fight for Jews survived the war in hiding .

the Germans and Austrians . From the beginning, they were primarily occupied with the massacres of the PUNISHMENT FOR HELPING JEWS

Serb population in Kosovo and Metochia . The purpose There were no regulations penalizing helping Jews .

of these massacres was to expel or murder the non-Albanian population living in Western Macedonia, en-END OF THE WAR

suring there are no Jews, Serbs or Gypsies, and create In November 1944 the Germans and Austrians and an ethnically and religiously pure and homogeneous shortly thereafter also the Greek partisans stationed in

[Muslim] Greater Albania .

the country left Albania14 .

14 Andrew S ., Williamson G ., German Mountain Ski Troops 1939-45, Oxford 2001; Andrew S ., Williamson G ., The Waffen SS (3) 11 . to 23 . Divisions, Oxford 2004; Bishop Ch ., Zagraniczne formacje SS, Zagraniczny ochotnicy w Waffen SS w latach 1940-45, Warszawa 2006; Blond P . W ., Siepacze Hitlera, Oddziały SS do zwalczania partyzantki, Warszawa 2008; Czekalski T ., Albania, Warszawa 2003; Koreski A ., Albania. Krótki zarys dziejów, Warszawa 1988; Piekałkie-wiecz J ., Wojna na Bałkanach 1940-45, Warszawa 2008 .

37

RUSSIANS

AND NATIONS

OF THE USSR

Support for Hitler:

Ca. 800,000 volunteers

Soviet Union

62

In August 1939, Stalin signed trade agreements with Hit-teers fought against the Soviets, hoping to regain the ler that allowed the exchange of military technology and freedom of their nations . They wore the uniforms of equipment to the Soviets to provide the Germans and the Third Reich, guarded communication lines, fought Austrians with a Soviet raw materials and food . In the partisans, but sometimes also defended German po-period September 1939 – June 1941, Stalin provided Hitler sition on the front lines . Ostttruppen were organized with: 1 .6 million tons of grain; 900,000 tons of kerosene; according to ethnicity . Among the Ostttruppen units, 200,000 tons of cotton; 140,000 tons of manganese; 200,000 two categories were distinguished: Ost-Bataillonen, in tons of phosphates; 20,000 tons of chrome ore; 18,000 tons which Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians served, of rubber; 100,000 tons of soybeans; 500,000 tons of iron and Turk-Bataillonen, in which representatives from ore; 300,000 tons of scrap and iron crude; 2,000 tons of the Asiatic republics served, including Kalmyk’s and platinum . Trade between Stalin and Hitler was so great Turkmen .

that in October 1940, it reached 80% of the total imports RONA – The Russian National Liberation Army (Russ-into Germany and Austria . By June 1941, it had not fallen kaya Osvoboditielnaya Narodnaya Army) . Founded by below 50% . However, the transport of Soviet food and Bronisław Kamiński near Bryansk, it was transformed raw materials ceased with Hitler’s attack on the Soviet into the 29th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division (1st Rus-Union; the last trains carrying Soviet goods crossed the sian). In August 1944, Kamiński’s RONA participated border a few days before the attack by the Third Reich . in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, commit-The rapid conquest of Europe by Hitler’s troops in 1939-ting particularly brutal crimes against Polish insur-1941, would not have been possible without the food and gents and the civilian population of Warsaw . Kamińs-raw material support of the Soviet Union34 .

ki’s fate is not fully understood . Some sources say that he died in an ambush organized by Polish partisans; COUNTRY OCCUPIED FROM

others state that his crimes in Warsaw disturbed even 22 June 1941 .

the Germans and Austrians and he was shot by them .

SS Rodionowa (BSRN – Bojewoj Soyuz Ruskogo Naro-DEFENSIVE FIGHT

da), the formation was established in April 1941, in The Soviet Union fought from June 1941 to May 8, 1945 .

Suwałki, Poland and was headed by the chief of staff of the Soviet 227 division pseud. “Rodionov”; it was a CAPITULATION

unit of about 500 soldiers that become part of the SS . In The Soviet Union did not sign the surrender .

December 1942, a second Russian unit was formed un-Collaboration at the administrative level der the command of NKVD Major E. Błażewicz. Both The Third Reich introduced its own administration in formations were combined into the Russian SS regi-the occupied territories of the Soviet republics .

ment under the command of “Rodionov”. On August 16 1943, the regiment’s soldiers destroyed the German POLITICAL COLLABORATION

officers’ quarters and joined the Soviet partisans.

Due to the terrible living conditions in the Soviet States The Russian Nationalist National Army (RNNA Rus-under Stalin, the Soviet peoples surrendered en masse kaja Nacjonalnaja Narodnaja Army) was formed in to the Germans and Austrians; 3 million people there-1941, from Soviet prisoners of war and deserters . In fore, found themselves in German-Austrian captivity .

1942, it comprised 7,000 soldiers dressed in Soviet uniforms with tsarist insignia, believing themselves to be MILITARY COLLABORATION

the nucleus of the Russian liberation army . The Ger-The Third Reich made the decision to utilize the Soviet mans and Austrians dismembered the formation and prisoners of war in their army . The Russians and rep-dressed it in their own uniforms . Many Russians then resentatives from all the nations of the USSR, estimat-deserted and the unit was dissolved .

ed at 800,000 to one million soldiers, fought alongside The Germans and Austrians formed numerous eastern Hitler in the following formations:

legions (Ost-Legionen) from the Soviet prisoners of Hiwis units (volunteer helpers) serving as orderlies, war . In May 1943, there were 10 regiments, 170 bat-workers and drivers from the fall of 1941 .

talions, 221 companies and 11 independent platoons .

Szumas self-defense units, from the turn of 1941/42; These formations were created according to national they were eventually reorganized into regular police identity: the Armenian Legion (Armenische Legion), forces . They fought at the front and collaborated in the Azerbaijani Legion (Aserbeidschanische Legion), mass executions .

the Georgian Legion (Georgische Legion), the North The Osttruppen Volunteer Units were formed by na-Caucasian Legion (Nordkaukaschische Legion), the tions that lived in Russian and Soviet captivity . Volun-Turkmen-Kalkaschische Legion ), Turkmen Legion 34 Marcin Dobrowolski, Jak ZSRR wykarmił III Rzeszę, w: „Puls Biznesu”, Warszawa 19 sierpnia 2016.

63

POLAND

Support for Hitler: 0

88

In accordance with the provisions of the secret proto-lies, who despite initial promises, did not support the fight col concluded on August 23 1939, between Hitler and as Poland was already ‘given’ by Roosevelt and Churchill Stalin, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, The to Stalin at the Yalta Conference].

Third Reich and the Soviet Union decided to divide Poland among themselves .

Polish soldiers in Polish uniforms also fought with the Germans on all fronts of World War II:

INVASION OF POLAND BY GERMANS

• Throughout the war in the Mediterranean and in AND AUSTRIANS:

the Battle of the Atlantic .

1 September, 1939 – World War II began .

• 1940 – Narvik: on the night of 27-28 May, with the participation of the Polish Podhale Rifle Brigade, SOVIET INVASION:

the Allies recaptured the Norwegian port of Nar-17 September, 1939

vik from Germany. Polish ships: “Błyskawica”, “So-bieski”, “Batory” and “Burza”, as well as the de-DEFENSIVE FIGHT

stroyer “Grom” and the motor ship “Chrobry” also On September 8 1939, the Germans reached the middle fought off the coast of Norway .

Vistula and Warsaw . The Poles fought a murderous • 1940 – Defense of France: on the eve of the Ger-battle with the Germans on the Bzura River that re-man invasion, the Polish Army in France numbered lieved the capital . On September 17 1939, before the over 80,000. Soldiers: 1. Gen. Bronisław Duch’s 1st battle with Germany on the Bzura River had ended, Grenadier Division fought in Lorraine; The 2nd the Red Army attacked Poland from the east . On Sep-Division of Foot Rifles of General Bronisław Pru-tember 28 1939, the Germans entered Warsaw . During gar-Ketling stopped the Germans at St . Hippolyte October 2-5 1939, the last battle of the Polish defensive and Maich; The 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade of war took place near Kock . To maintain the continuity General Maczek fought from June 14 in Champagne; of the Polish State, part of the army and the Polish The Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade defended government left the country on September 17 1939 and the so-called Breton bastion; 150 Polish pilots shot went to France via Romania .

down over 50 German planes; Polish Navy ships The last shots of the defensive war had not subsided covered the evacuation of Allied forces and Polish when the Poles, under German-Bolshevik occupation, merchant ships transported soldiers and civilians to began a conspiratorial fight against the occupiers: British ports .

• On September 27 1939, the Polish Government in Ex-On 6 June 1940, in the face of the collapse of France, ile was established in Paris (after the fall of France, it Polish General Sikorski agreed with British Prime moved to London) to rule Poland and command the Minister Winston Churchill that Great Britain would Polish army outside of Poland .

help in the evacuation and would also accept the entry

• On September 27 1939, Poles still residing in Po-of the government of the Republic of Poland and the land, under the dual German, Soviet occupation Polish Army . In May and June 1940, over 17,000 Polish began building the Polish Underground State, the soldiers were transported across the English Channel .

structure of which consisted of underground political parties, underground administration, educa-tion and the underground army – the Polish Home Army . The head of the Polish Underground State was the Polish Government in exile . In the years 1939-1945, the underground Polish army – the Home Army, numbered 350,000 soldiers . Moreover, tens of thousands of Poles fought against both occupiers in other clandestine civil and military formations .

The most significant of the Poles struggle for freedom occurred during the German retreat known as the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 . The Uprising aimed to oust the German army and seize control of the city before the advancing Soviet army occupied it . [Translator’s comment: This was the single largest military effort taken by any European resistance movement during the war. Poles fought for 63 days however, their fight for freedom from the Germans and from the Pilots of the Polish 303 Squadron, 1940.

approaching Russians was abandoned by their western al-

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

89

Chapter VI

NEUTRAL STATES

1939–1945

103

Iceland

NEUTRAL

STATES

Ireland

Lichtenstein

Andorra

rtugal

Po

Vatican

104