Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts
Recruits for the Waffen-SS in World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
During World War II, the Waffen-SS recruited significant numbers of non-Germans, both as volunteers and conscripts. Of a peak strength of 950,000 in 1944, the Waffen-SS consisted of some 400,000 “Reich Germans” and 310,000 ethnic Germans from outside Germany’s pre-1939 borders (mostly from German-occupied Europe), the remaining 240,000 being non-Germans.[1] Thus, at their numerical peak, non-Germans comprised 25% of all Waffen-SS troops.[lower-alpha 1] The units were under the control of the SS Führungshauptamt (SS Command Main Office) led by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. Upon mobilisation, the units' tactical control was given to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces).[3]