'They Defended Ukraine' : The 14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (Galizische Nr. 1) Revisited
Author
Summary, in English
In recent years there has been an increased interest in the legacy of the Fourteenth Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, known as the Waffen-SS Galizien, a Ukrainian volunteer formation formed in 1943. In Ukrainian ultra-nationalist mythology the unit is depicted as freedom fighters who fought for an independent Ukraine, its collaboration with Nazi Germany dismissed as “Soviet propaganda.” There is a widening gulf between the myth and the picture that emerges from the archival materials. This article revisits the history of the unit, with a particular focus on aspects of its history which the myth makers omit or deny: its ideological foundations, its allegiance to Adolf Hitler, and the involvement of units associated with the division in atrocities against civilians in 1944.
Department/s
Publishing year
2012
Language
English
Pages
329-368
Publication/Series
Journal of Slavic Military Studies
Volume
25
Issue
3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Routledge
Topic
- History
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1351-8046