The Waffen SS (Schutz Staffel) was the most multicultural Army in the world.   The name SS was coined in the early days of the NSDAP and it stood for 'Saal-Schutz' or the security guards at NSDAP political meetings. Later it stood for 'Schutz-Staffel' (Guards).  In the early days, before Sepyember 1939, the SS were unarmed (except for batons) and their job was to protect the higher echelons of the NSDAP. In those days before the war the SS was made up of only Germans but shortly after the war started many volunteers from Scandinavia and the Netherlands were taken into the SS.   Shortly after that (1941) the SS was taking in volunteers from almost every country in the world .

The "European volunteers" of the Waffen-SS came from a number of different nations. An Order issued by SS Headquarters on October 22, 1943 contains the official titles of all units which had been formed until that time. The documents reveal the following details:

With the support of the Danish government, a battalion consisting of Danish volunteers was formed in 194 1, commanded by v. Schalburg. After it had been temporarily incorporated in the "Westland" Regiment, it later became an independent unit with the title "Volunteer Corps Danmark". Finally it was reformed into the SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 24 "Danmark".

At the beginning the formation of a Dutch volunteer unit caused some difficulties, recruitment by the "Mussert movement" was unsuccessful. Some time later, however, a cadre of Dutch volunteers was built up in the "Westland" Regiment. Following the orders of SS Headquarters on july 26, 1941 it was reorganized as "Volunteer Legion Netherlands". It later became the 4th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Brigade "Nederland" and was finally - in July 1944 - turned into the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Nederland".

The Norwegian volunteers were incorporated at the beginning in the "Nordland" Regiment and employed in the Eastern campaign in the cadre of the "Wiking" Divison commanded by Steiner. In the winter of 1942/43 , the "Nordland" Regiment, now entitled Regiment 23 "Norge", and the Regiment 24 "Danmark" were reorganized as "Nordland" Division which was soon called 11th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Nordland". More Norwegian joined the Waffen SS then followed King and government to UK and were enlisted in the British-army.

Even from neutral Sweden volunteers came to join up with their racial brothers to fight against Jewish Communism and for the freedom of Europe.

The cadre of the Flemish volunteers was incorporated in the "Westland" Regiment. In the course of time, mainly Flemish volunteers formed the 6th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade 'Langemarck’, which in November 1944 became the 27th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Langemarck".

Wa11oon volunteers coming from the Degrelle movement were concentrated by the German military administration in the "Legion Wallonie" and assigned to the Army. After they had participated in the Eastern campaign in a unit of the Army, in 1943 an agreement was reached between the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht, the Commander of the General Staff of the Army on the one hand and the Reichsfuehrer of the SS on the other that the Walloons should be assigned to the Waffen SS beginning june 1, 1943. The legion was turned into the SS Assault Brigade "Wallonien", in jÜly 1944 it was reorganized resp. enlarged as 28th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division "Wallonien".

The development of the French volunteer contingent was similar. Under the German milltary commander in France, the French legion "Volontaire Frangalse" was formed up in 1941. It was an army volunteer unit and was employed in this form on the Eastern front. Not before midsummer of 1943 a French SS Volunteer Regiment was also organized by special authorization of the French government. In 1944, it turned into the French SS Volunteer Assault Brigade. After the French Volunteer Legion of the army and further 6400 volunteers from the French milltia, the navy, and others partly from the NSKK and the "Organization TodC - had been assigned to it, it became the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS "Charlemagne". So the concentration of the French volunteers in the Waffen SS did not take place before the last years of the war, afterlhey had already been - although in small numbers - assigned to the army.

A battalion of Finnish volunteers had been incorporated in the "Nordland" Regiment since 1941 which was assigned to the "Wiking" Division. It participated in the Eastern campaign and was ordered back to Finland in midsummer of 1943, where it was incorporated in the Finnish Army.

Right after the German troops had entered Latvia and Esthonia, volunteer units were formed in both countries for the support of the army (so-called "Schutzmannschafts"-batallions), later they were subordinated to the commander of the police. At the beginning of 1943, the concentration of all Latvian volunteers in the Waffen SS began with the formation of the 'Tatvian SS Volunteer Legion". The already existing "Schutzmannschafts"battalions were assigned to it. It should be mentioned that the "Ministery of the East" opposed this development considerably.

In the course of this concentration of volunteers, in February 1943 the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Latvian No. 1) and in early 1944 the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Latvian No. 2) were formed.

In the autumn of 1942, an "Esthonian SS" was also formed in Esthonia. First the 3rd Esthonian SS Volunteer Brigade and in 1944 the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Esthonian No. 1) were called up from Esthonian volunteers. Only after considerable differences between the local German authorities had been overcome, volunteer units were raised in the Western Ukraine in 1943. This development led to the formation of a new division: 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Galician No. 1). Due to the hesitation and lack of planning on the part of highest German authorities a lot of enthusiasm and goodwill was wasted particularly in this region. If the authorities had shown a straight forward and positive attitude already in 1941, a considerably greater number of volunteers could have been activated in the Ukraine and in the Baltic States than were available in 1942/1943.

In Croatia and Albania the volunteer units were recruited from the local Muslim population. First the Croatian SS Volunteer Division was formed in early 1943, which was reorganized into the 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Handschar" (Croatian No. 1). In the summer of 1944, a second Croatlan Division was formed which was designated 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Kama" (Croatlan No. 2).

The Albanian forces were constituted less from volunteers, but rather from soldiers who had been recruited by the Albanian National Committee. Together with other assignments they formed a division in the spring of 1944 which was later called the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS "Skanderbeg" (Albanian No. 1).

Two Russian divisions - the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Russian No. 1) and the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Russian No. 2) an 1ta1ian Waffen Grenadier Division and a Hungarian namely the 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS "Hunyadi" (Hungarian No.1) should only be mentioned here. Finally, the Tartar Waffen Mountain Brigade of the SS, an East Turkish Waffen unit of the SS, the Serbian Volunteer Corps, two Rumanian Waffen grenadier regiments, an Bulgarian Waffen grenadier regiment of the SS and the Indlan Legion followed.

It should be added that the "Cossack Corps" which had been organized in 1943 under General v. Pannwitz was assigned to the Waffen SS and incorporated in it at the end of the war. The German officers belonging to the Corps, however, were not assigned to the SS, they were only detached.

Even Britain gave contribution a small to the Waffen SS. British Free Corps of 70 men.

Also India was represented in the Waffen SS. The Headquarter of Free India had allowed Sikhs to join Germany in her struggle for freedom.

The history of the European volunteers is a tragic episode. Although they voluntarily did their service in the German armed forces, they could not be called genuine supporters of National Socialism, but rather "anti-Bolshevists". In short: they put their hopes in Germany, they supported the Germans. Most of them were fighting for the benefit of their home country.

After the war, the volunteers were seen as "collaborators" and traitors subjected to severe discrimination, persecution and penalties (death penalty or many years of imprisonment). Even lf there were a fundamental difference between the image of Europe the volunteers of that time had in mind and the vision of an European community of today, one thing should be kept in mind if they are judged from a historical point of view: they had in mind something greater, a union which transcended their national borders. How else could such an idea be realized than in the context and notions of their time? It is inconceivable that they thought of their own profit - that was not "up-to-date" if the risk of their life and health is considered which was demanded of them. This should be taken into account - especially from the people on whose side they fought - before a Judgement is passed thoughtlessly and emotionally.