Franz Augsberger
Encyclopedia
Franz Xaver Josef Maria Augsberger (10 October 1905 – 19 March 1945) was a Brigadeführer
(Brigadier General) of the Waffen-SS
.
, then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
. After primary school he attended a military preparatory school for one year.
However, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I
, Augsberger went on to study and graduate in engineering
and architecture
.
In July 1927, Franz Augsberger joined the Steirischer Heimatschutz, an antisemitic and antirepublican organisation. Yet Augsberger found this organisation too disorganised and left it in October 1930. Instead, he quickly joined the Sturmabteilung
(SA) on 30 October 1930. The same day he also became a member of the NSDAP.
for one-and-a-half years, where he learned Norwegian
. In Vienna, he began to get more involved in the activities of the NSDAP. He was in charge of propaganda
until 19 June 1933, when the NSDAP was declared illegal in Austria.
and after having joined the SS
in 1932, became a probationary candidate until February 1934 when he was awarded the rank of SS-Mann
(Private). Franz Augsberger served with the Austrian Legion from April 1932 to October 1933 when he left the Legion's base at Lechfeld, South of Augsburg
, and transferred to a training area near Dachau
, and was subsequently promoted to SS-Unterscharführer
(Junior Squad Leader) on 20 April 1934, and to SS-Oberscharführer
(Senior Squad Leader) on 1 June 1934.
On 1 October 1934 Franz Augsberger joined the SS combat support forces
(SS-Verfügungstruppe), and became a platoon leader until March 18, 1935. He was then recommended to attend the first class at SS-Führerschule “Braunschweig”
, (Officer candidate school) where he began classes in April 1935. He was also given the rank of SS-Hauptscharführer
(Head Squad Leader) on 1 April 1935. After passing the final exams, he was again promoted to the rank of SS-Standartenoberjunker
(Officer Candidate) in January 1936. After having been promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmführer
(Senior Assault (Storm) Leader) in 1936 and SS-Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in 1937 and having received additional training at the Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt
he returned to the school in Braunschweig
, where he became an instructor, teaching weapons courses, followed by a year of teaching at the SS officer school in Bad Tölz
until March 1939.
At the beginning of March 1939 Franz Augsberger was moved to the SS-Standarte
“Der Führer” where he remained until the beginning of August that year. Franz Augsberger belonged to a selection of candidates who might potentially become SS adjutant to the Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia
, former Foreign Minister
Konstantin von Neurath
. He was also temporarily reassigned to an Allgemeine-SS command in Villach with the rank of Allgemeine-SS Sturmbannführer on 1 August 1939. He was returned very soon to his still permanent regiment “Der Führer” assignment, where his Allgemeine-SS rank was changed to SS-Hauptsturmführer on 21 March 1940, which would correspond to his Waffen-SS rank.
On 1 October 1940 Franz Augsberger transferred as a company commander from the SS-Standarte "Der Führer" replacement unit to the SS-Standarte “Westland
”, an SS-regiment consisting of volunteers from the Netherlands
and Belgium
only to transfer to the SS-Standarte “Nordland
”, composed of volunteers from Norway and Denmark
, in December 1940. He was in charge of this regiment until February 1941.
of the SS-Standarte 7, which had just been reorganised into a motorised infantry regiment the month before. Augsberger continued as its commander until the beginning of December 1941, when, on 1 December 1941, he was promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
(Major).
As an SS-Sturmbannführer he now led the entire SS-Standarte 7. Until July 1942 as a part of SS-Division *Nord”
. With this regiment Augsberger stood out amongst the other SS leaders, and his SS-Brigadeführer Karl-Maria Demelhuber
recommended him for promotion to SS-Obersturmbannführer
(Lieutenant Colonel). With the SS-Standarte 7 Franz Augsberger won the Iron Cross
II class on 4 July 1941, and the Iron Cross I class on 15 September 1941, as well as the Infantry Assault Badge
on 15 January 1942. On April 20, 1942 he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer with seniority retroactive to start of the same month. Augsberger also won the German Cross
in Gold on 30 May 1942 for his battalion and regiment commands with the SS-Standarte 7.
ordered the raising of an SS-unit composed of volunteers from Estonia
. First named Estonian Legion, it was renamed 3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
in September 1942. In October 1942 Franz Augsberger became commanding officer of the brigade and was subsequently, in July 1943, promoted to SS-Standartenführer
(Colonel).
In January 1944 the brigade was enlarged to form the 20. Estnische SS-Freiwilligen-Division and in May 1944 the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) respectively with Franz Augsberger remaining in his function as commanding officer, being promoted to SS-Oberführer
(Senior Colonel) in January and to SS-Brigadeführer (Brigadier General) in June 1944. Augsberger was mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht
on 9 March 1944.
Even though initially distrusted by his Estonian subordinates, Augsburger eventually gained their trust and respect by often leading them from the front.
Franz Augsberger stayed in command of the division during the long retreat of the German forces on the Eastern front.
On 10 March, Franz Augsberger was killed in action near Neustadt
during an attempt to break out of the city of Oppeln
in Upper Silesia
, a city that had been declared a fortress and had been completely encircled by Soviet forces. Two days previously he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
by Generalfeldmarschall
Ferdinand Schörner
for the division's role in the battle to defend Oppeln.
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
(Brigadier General) of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
.
Early life
Franz Augsberger was the son of a hotel owner in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. After primary school he attended a military preparatory school for one year.
However, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Augsberger went on to study and graduate in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
.
In July 1927, Franz Augsberger joined the Steirischer Heimatschutz, an antisemitic and antirepublican organisation. Yet Augsberger found this organisation too disorganised and left it in October 1930. Instead, he quickly joined the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
(SA) on 30 October 1930. The same day he also became a member of the NSDAP.
Career
Until 1932 Augsberger worked as an architect in Vienna. During this period he took an engineering job in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
for one-and-a-half years, where he learned Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
. In Vienna, he began to get more involved in the activities of the NSDAP. He was in charge of propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
until 19 June 1933, when the NSDAP was declared illegal in Austria.
Move to Germany and SS
Franz Augsberger then moved to GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and after having joined the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
in 1932, became a probationary candidate until February 1934 when he was awarded the rank of SS-Mann
Mann (military rank)
Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the SS, and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...
(Private). Franz Augsberger served with the Austrian Legion from April 1932 to October 1933 when he left the Legion's base at Lechfeld, South of Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, and transferred to a training area near Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
, and was subsequently promoted to SS-Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the Schutzstaffel between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives...
(Junior Squad Leader) on 20 April 1934, and to SS-Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1932 and 1945. Translated as “Senior Squad Leader”, Oberscharführer was first used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions required by growing SA membership...
(Senior Squad Leader) on 1 June 1934.
On 1 October 1934 Franz Augsberger joined the SS combat support forces
SS-Verfügungstruppe
The SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS....
(SS-Verfügungstruppe), and became a platoon leader until March 18, 1935. He was then recommended to attend the first class at SS-Führerschule “Braunschweig”
Junker (SS rank)
Junker was a paramilitary Nazi rank that was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1933 and 1945. The rank was a special position held by those aspiring for officer commissions in the armed wing of the SS, first known as the SS-Verfügungstruppe and later as the Waffen-SS.The SS rank of...
, (Officer candidate school) where he began classes in April 1935. He was also given the rank of SS-Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer was a Nazi paramilitary rank which was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank was the highest enlisted rank of the SS, with the exception of the special Waffen-SS rank of Sturmscharführer....
(Head Squad Leader) on 1 April 1935. After passing the final exams, he was again promoted to the rank of SS-Standartenoberjunker
Junker (SS rank)
Junker was a paramilitary Nazi rank that was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1933 and 1945. The rank was a special position held by those aspiring for officer commissions in the armed wing of the SS, first known as the SS-Verfügungstruppe and later as the Waffen-SS.The SS rank of...
(Officer Candidate) in January 1936. After having been promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(Senior Assault (Storm) Leader) in 1936 and SS-Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) in 1937 and having received additional training at the Rasse und Siedlungshauptamt
SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt
The SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt was responsible for managing the finances, supply systems and business projects for the Allgemeine-SS...
he returned to the school in Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, where he became an instructor, teaching weapons courses, followed by a year of teaching at the SS officer school in Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
until March 1939.
At the beginning of March 1939 Franz Augsberger was moved to the SS-Standarte
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
“Der Führer” where he remained until the beginning of August that year. Franz Augsberger belonged to a selection of candidates who might potentially become SS adjutant to the Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
, former Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Konstantin von Neurath
Konstantin von Neurath
Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath was a German diplomat remembered mostly for having served as Foreign minister of Germany between 1932 and 1938...
. He was also temporarily reassigned to an Allgemeine-SS command in Villach with the rank of Allgemeine-SS Sturmbannführer on 1 August 1939. He was returned very soon to his still permanent regiment “Der Führer” assignment, where his Allgemeine-SS rank was changed to SS-Hauptsturmführer on 21 March 1940, which would correspond to his Waffen-SS rank.
On 1 October 1940 Franz Augsberger transferred as a company commander from the SS-Standarte "Der Führer" replacement unit to the SS-Standarte “Westland
Westland (Nazi propaganda)
This article is about the Nazi propaganda term used for the Netherlands. For other uses, see Westland .Westland is the name which the government of Nazi Germany intended to replace that of the Netherlands with during its 1940-1945 occupation of that country...
”, an SS-regiment consisting of volunteers from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
only to transfer to the SS-Standarte “Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
”, composed of volunteers from Norway and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, in December 1940. He was in charge of this regiment until February 1941.
Command career
Effective on 10 February 1941, Franz Augsberger was given command of a battalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the SS-Standarte 7, which had just been reorganised into a motorised infantry regiment the month before. Augsberger continued as its commander until the beginning of December 1941, when, on 1 December 1941, he was promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major).
As an SS-Sturmbannführer he now led the entire SS-Standarte 7. Until July 1942 as a part of SS-Division *Nord”
6th SS Mountain Division Nord
The 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord" was a German unit of the Waffen SS during World War II, formed in February 1941 as SS Kampfgruppe Nord ....
. With this regiment Augsberger stood out amongst the other SS leaders, and his SS-Brigadeführer Karl-Maria Demelhuber
Karl-Maria Demelhuber
Karl-Maria Demelhuber was an Obergruppenführer in the Waffen-SS and a Heer officer who served in both World War I and II. During World War II, Demelhuber commanded the SS-Standarte Germania, 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord, XII. SS-Armeekorps and XVI. SS-Armeekorps...
recommended him for promotion to SS-Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Lieutenant Colonel). With the SS-Standarte 7 Franz Augsberger won the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
II class on 4 July 1941, and the Iron Cross I class on 15 September 1941, as well as the Infantry Assault Badge
Infantry Assault Badge
The Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...
on 15 January 1942. On April 20, 1942 he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer with seniority retroactive to start of the same month. Augsberger also won the German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold on 30 May 1942 for his battalion and regiment commands with the SS-Standarte 7.
Estonian legion
In August 1942 Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
ordered the raising of an SS-unit composed of volunteers from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. First named Estonian Legion, it was renamed 3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
The 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade was a formation of the German Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in May 1943, when the Estonian SS Legion , which was still undergoing formation in Dębica, , was upgraded...
in September 1942. In October 1942 Franz Augsberger became commanding officer of the brigade and was subsequently, in July 1943, promoted to SS-Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
(Colonel).
In January 1944 the brigade was enlarged to form the 20. Estnische SS-Freiwilligen-Division and in May 1944 the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) respectively with Franz Augsberger remaining in his function as commanding officer, being promoted to SS-Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
(Senior Colonel) in January and to SS-Brigadeführer (Brigadier General) in June 1944. Augsberger was mentioned in the daily Wehrmachtbericht
Wehrmachtbericht
The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 9 March 1944.
Even though initially distrusted by his Estonian subordinates, Augsburger eventually gained their trust and respect by often leading them from the front.
Franz Augsberger stayed in command of the division during the long retreat of the German forces on the Eastern front.
On 10 March, Franz Augsberger was killed in action near Neustadt
Prudnik
Prudnik is a town in Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship. Its population numbers 26,400 inhabitants . It is the capital of Prudnik County.- Education :* * * II Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Prudniku...
during an attempt to break out of the city of Oppeln
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
in Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, a city that had been declared a fortress and had been completely encircled by Soviet forces. Two days previously he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
by Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Ferdinand Schörner
Ferdinand Schörner
Ferdinand Schörner was a General and later Field Marshal in the German Army during World War II.-Early life:Schörner was born in Munich, Bavaria...
for the division's role in the battle to defend Oppeln.
Literature
- Mitcham, Samuel W., Crumbling empire: the German defeat in the East, 1944, Westport (CT), 2001. ISBN 0-2759-6856-1
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit, Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Yerger, Mark C., Waffen-SS commanders: the army, corps, and divisional leaders of a legend, vol. 1, Atglen (PA), 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0356-2 The first of two volumes examining the title topic in specific, the pair total some 700 pages of text and images.
See also
- 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian)
- Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
- Occupation of Estonia by Nazi GermanyOccupation of Estonia by Nazi GermanyAfter Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Army Group North reached Estonia in July.Initially the Germans were perceived by most Estonians as liberators from the USSR and its repressions, having arrived only a week after the first mass deportations from the Baltics...