Georgian Legion (1941–45)

Not to be confused with Georgian Legion (1914–18).
Georgische Legion
Georgian Legion

Insignia of the Georgian Legion, featuring the flag of the First Georgian Republic
Active 1941 – 1945
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Branch Wehrmacht
Size ≈ 14,000[1]
Engagements World War II

The Georgian Legion (German: Georgische Legion, Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი, kartuli legioni) was a military formation of Nazi Germany during World War II, composed of ethnic Georgians. It was formed by Georgian émigrés and prisoners of war, and its declared aim was the eventual restoration of Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union.[2] Some components of the Georgian Legion fell under the operational control of Waffen SS.

Compared to other Soviet nationalities, Georgians initially received a somewhat preferential treatment from the Germans. This was partly due to classification of Georgians as Aryans, and also because several Georgian scholars, such as Alexander Nikuradse and Michael Achmeteli, were advisers to leading Nazis like Alfred Rosenberg.[3][4]

The Nazi perception of Georgians, however, began to change for worse in light of series of defections and Adolf Hitler's growing paranoia. Hitler mistrusted Georgians because "the Georgians are not a Turkish people, rather a typical Caucasian tribe, probably even with some Nordic blood in them...The only ones I consider to be reliable are the pure Muslims, which means the real Turkish nations."[5] Hitler also surmised that Joseph Stalin's Georgian ethnicity, as well as the fact that Georgian SSR was nominally autonomous, would eventually draw the Georgians closer to USSR than to Germany.[6]

Being faced with an impossible choice between Hitler and the equally brutal Stalin's regime, members of the Georgian Legion often suffered tragic fates. Notably, during the Georgian uprising on Texel, hundreds of Georgians were killed by the Nazis. Those who "survived" were on Moscow's orders forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union, only to end up perishing in Stalin's Gulags.

History

During the Second World War, the Wehrmacht's ethnic Georgian Legion was formed from émigrés living in Western Europe after the 1921 Soviet invasion of Georgia, combined with Soviet prisoners of war of Georgian origin who chose to fight for Germany rather than submit to often brutally poor living conditions in POW camps.

Shalva Loladze, leader of the Texel Uprising

Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, though they never reached Soviet Georgia. The Georgian Legion was formed in December 1941. The Georgians trained in western Ukraine and became operational in the autumn of 1942. At least 30,000 Georgians served in the German armed forces during World War II. The Georgians served in thirteen field battalions of up to 800 men, each made up of five companies. Georgians were also found in the Wehrmacht's North Caucasian Legion and in other Caucasian ethnic legions. The Georgian military formations were commanded by Shalva Maglakelidze, Michel-Fridon Zulukidze, Col. Solomon Nicholas Zaldastani and other officers formerly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–21).

Wounded Georgian Legion soldiers at Texel, Netherlands, 1945

This venture was largely hampered by the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg. Adolf Hitler himself was greatly suspicious of the Georgian and other Soviet battalions. This was especially so after some Georgian soldiers of the Wehrmacht deserted and joined local Resistance movements across Europe, especially in Italy and France. Despite these suspicions, Alexander Nikuradze, Michael Achmeteli, and some other Georgian scholars were held in high esteem in Germany and managed to keep a somewhat favorable treatment of Georgians by the Reich.[7]

As a result of Hitler's distrust of Osttruppen ("Eastern Troops"), some Georgian battalions were moved west to occupation duties in the Netherlands. With the western allies driving into Germany, the 822 Georgian battalion, stationed on the Dutch island of Texel, rebelled against their German overlords. The resulting battle, known as the Georgian uprising on Texel, continued from April 5, 1945 past the general German surrender, until May 20. This event is sometimes described as Europe's last battle.

In accordance with inter-Allied agreements, all Soviet citizens were to be repatriated, by force if necessary, to the Soviet Union. The Soviets treated those who wore German uniforms, such as those in the Georgian Legion, as traitors. They were punished upon their return, with many exiled to Siberia or Central Asia.[8]

List of Georgian units in the Wehrmacht

List of Georgian units in the Wehrmacht (does not include Georgian Abwehr, SS1 and Luftwaffe)

Fighting: 1942 in North Ossetia, 1943 in France

Fighting: 1942/43 in Tuapse, North Caucasus

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

Fighting: 1943/44 in France 1945 in Germany

Fighting: 1943/44 in France, 1945 in Germany

Fighting: 1943/44/45 in France and on Texel (Netherlands)

Fighting: 1944 in Lvov, Poland

1 SS Waffengruppe "Georgien" was formed on December 11, 1944 and commanded by Waffen-Standartenfuhrer der SS Michail Pridon Tsulukidze

Notes

  1. ↑ Jonathan Levy. The Intermarium: Wilson, Madison, & East Central European Federalism. Universal-Publishers, 2007, p. 423
  2. ↑ Jonathan Levy. The Intermarium: Wilson, Madison, & East Central European Federalism. Universal-Publishers, 2007, p. 423
  3. ↑ Alex Alexiev. Soviet nationalities in German wartime strategy, 1941-1945. Rand Corporation: p. 2
  4. ↑ Dallin, Alexander (1981), German Rule in Russia, 1941-1945: A Study of Occupation Policies. Westview Press, ISBN 0-86531-102-1. p. 89, 228
  5. ↑ Helmut Heiber, Gerhard L. Weinberg, David M. Glantz. Hitler and His Generals: Military Conferences 1942-1945. Enigma Books: 2013, p. 20
  6. ↑ Helmut Heiber, Gerhard L. Weinberg, David M. Glantz. Hitler and His Generals: Military Conferences 1942-1945. Enigma Books: 2013, p. 20
  7. ↑ Lang, page 259.
  8. ↑ Lang, page 260.

See also

References

External links

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