The Lesser of Two Evils: Why Millions Joined the Nazi War Machine
In short: During World War II, the German invasion of the Soviet Union triggered a massive wave of collaboration. Estimates suggest around 1 million Soviet citizens joined the Nazi military. For many non-Russian ethnicities, the choice wasn't between freedom and tyranny, but between two different forms of oppression.
Mass collaboration began immediately following Operation Barbarossa in 1941. The scale was staggering: between 600,000 and 1,400,000 Soviets served as 'military collaborators' with the Wehrmacht. This included 'Hiwis' (voluntary helpers) and various indigenous security formations. In some regions, former Soviet citizens made up as much as 20% of the total German manpower in Soviet Russia, with ethnic Russians comprising about half of that group. The motivations were complex and often pragmatic. According to scholar Alex Alexiev, many people who were not Russian often viewed the Nazis as a preferable alternative to the Soviet Union.
This sentiment drove the formation of various units, such as the Ukrainian National Army and various Russian volunteer groups. However, the German administration was often inconsistent. For instance, in November 1941, a project for a 200,000-strong Russian Liberation Army was rejected by Field-Marshal Keitel, who claimed such politics were not the prerogative of Army Group Commanders.
One of the most distinct examples of collaboration was the Cossack movement. Initially recruited by frontline commanders who bypassed racial policies, the Cossacks were later centralized into the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division. To maintain their status, leaders like Pyotr Krasnov promoted pseudo-historical theories claiming Cossacks were an elite Germanic sub-race. By 1944, the 'Kazachi Stan' functioned as a mobile, self-contained government in exile. This collaboration ended in tragedy: after fleeing to Austria, the leadership was betrayed by a British legal ruse and handed over to the NKVD, leading to the execution of the senior cadre in Moscow in 1947.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Collaboration in the German-occupied Soviet Union
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-collaboration-in-the-german-occupied-soviet-union.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Modern (1800-1945) · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
