Georgian Legion (1941-1945)

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Georgian officers on horseback lead one of the Georgische Infanterie Bataillons.
Georgian officers on horseback lead one of the Georgische Infanterie Bataillons.

The Georgian Legion (German: Georgische Legion, Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი, k’artuli legioni) was a name of a Georgian military formation within the German army during World War II. Their established aim was the restoration of Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union.

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[edit] 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 were enlisted, while facing certain death from starvation, disease, forced labor and brutality in POW camps.

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 the western Ukraine and became operational in the autumn of 1942. At least 30,000 Georgians served in the Nazi armed forces. The Georgians served in 13 field battalions of up to 800 men, each having 5 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 Schalwa Maglakelidse, Michel-Fridon Zulukidse, Col. Solomon Nicholas Zaldastani and other officers formerly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-21).

This venture was largely hampered by the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg. Adolf Hitler himself was greatly suspicious of the Georgian and other Soviet battalions. Across Europe, especially in Italy and France, many Georgian soldiers of the Wehrmacht deserted and joined local Resistance Movements. Eventually, some of the ethnic Georgian units were disbanded and their officers repressed. Many Georgians under Nazi domination were saved only by the intervention of Alexander Nikuradze, Michael Achmeteli, and some other Georgian scholars who were held in high esteem in Germany.[1] As a result of Hitler’s distrust of osttruppen (eastern troops), the remaining Georgian battalions were moved west to occupation duties in the Netherlands. With the western allies driving into Germany, the Texel-based 822nd Georgian battalion rebelled against their German overlords. The resulting battle, sometimes described as Europe's last battle, continued from April 5, 1945 past the general German surrender, until May 20. This event is the relatively well-known Georgian Uprising of Texel.

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.[2]

[edit] List of Georgian units in Wermacht

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

Fighting: 1942 in North Ossetia, 1943 in France

  • 796 Battalion.

Fighting: 1942/43 in Tuapse, North Caucasus

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

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

Fighting: 1944 in Lviv, Ukraine Lviv or Lvov, was then part of Poland.

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

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Lang, page 259.
  2. ^ Lang, page 260.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links