Georgian Legion
Encyclopedia
The Georgian Legion 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
.
’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 thirteen field battalion
s of up to 800 men, each made up of five 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 Shalva Maglakelidze, Michel-Fridon Zulukidze, 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.
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 known as the 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
.
Fighting: 1942 in North Ossetia, 1943 in France
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
(Netherlands
)
Fighting: 1944 in Lvov, Poland
1 SS Waffengruppe "Georgien" was formed on December 11, 1944 and commanded by Waffen-Standartenfuhrer der SS Michail Pridon Tsulukidze
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
military formation within the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Their established aim was the restoration of Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
History
During the Second World War, the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
’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
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and became operational in the autumn of 1942. At least 30,000 Georgians served in the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
armed forces. The Georgians served in thirteen field battalion
Battalion
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...
s of up to 800 men, each made up of five companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
. Georgians were also found in the Wehrmacht's North Caucasian
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
Legion and in other Caucasian
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
ethnic legions. The Georgian military formations were commanded by Shalva Maglakelidze, Michel-Fridon Zulukidze, Col. Solomon Nicholas Zaldastani and other officers formerly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
(1918-21).
This venture was largely hampered by the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg
Alfred Rosenberg
' was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. Rosenberg was first introduced to Adolf Hitler by Dietrich Eckart; he later held several important posts in the Nazi government...
. Adolf Hitler
Adolf 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...
himself was greatly suspicious of the Georgian and other Soviet battalions. Across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, especially in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, many Georgian soldiers of the Wehrmacht deserted and joined local Resistance Movements
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
. 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
Michael Achmeteli
Michael Achmeteli was a Georgian émigré scholar, an expert on Soviet agriculture and sometime chief of Wannsee Institut, the SS-controlled research institute of Soviet studies in Nazi Germany....
, and some other Georgian scholars who were held in high esteem in Germany.
As a result of Hitler’s distrust of Osttruppen ("Eastern Troops"), the remaining Georgian battalions were moved west to occupation duties in 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...
. With the western allies driving into Germany, the Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
-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 known as the Georgian Uprising of Texel
Georgian Uprising of Texel
The Georgian Uprising on Texel was an insurrection by the 882nd Infantry Battalion Königin Tamara of the Georgian Legion of the German Army stationed on the German occupied Dutch island of Texel . The battalion was made up of 800 Georgians and 400 Germans, with mainly German officers...
.
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
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
or Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
List of Georgian units in Wehrmacht
List of Georgian units in Wehrmacht (does not include Georgian Abwehr, SS1 and Luftwaffe)- 795 Battalion "Shalva Maglakelidze"
Fighting: 1942 in North Ossetia, 1943 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- 796 Battalion.
Fighting: 1942/43 in Tuapse
Tuapse
Tuapse is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. It serves as the administrative center of Tuapsinsky District, although administratively it is separate from it...
, North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
- 797 Battalion "Giorgi SaakadzeGiorgi SaakadzeGiorgi Saakadze was a Georgian politician and military commander who played an important but contradictory role in the politics of the early 17th-century Georgia...
"
Fighting: 1943/44 in France
- 798 Battalion"King Erekle II Bagrationi"
Fighting: 1943/44 in France
- 799 Battalion "King David Bagrationi-AghmashenebeliDavid IV of GeorgiaDavid IV "the Builder", also known as David II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125....
"
Fighting: 1943/44 in France
- 822 Battalion "Queen TamarTamar of GeorgiaTamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. Tamar presided over the "Golden age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy...
"
Fighting: 1943/44/45 in France and on Texel
Texel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
(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...
)
- 823 Battalion "Shota RustaveliShota RustaveliShota Rustaveli was a Georgian poet of the 12th century, and one of the greatest contributors to Georgian literature. He is author of "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" , the Georgian national epic poem....
"
- 824 Battalion "Ilia Chavchavadze"
Fighting: 1944 in Lvov, Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
1 SS Waffengruppe "Georgien" was formed on December 11, 1944 and commanded by Waffen-Standartenfuhrer der SS Michail Pridon Tsulukidze
See also
- OstlegionenOstlegionenOstlegionen or Osttruppen were conscripts and volunteers from the occupied eastern territories recruited into the German Army of the Third Reich during the Second World War....
- Tetri GiorgiTetri Giorgi (organization)Tetri Giorgi has been a name of several political and paramilitary organizations as well as non-political foundations operating in Georgia or by Georgians abroad. It is derived from the cult of Tetri Giorgi, one of the Georgian identities of St...
- Bergmann BattalionBergmann BattalionThe Special Group Bergmann or the Bergmann Battalion was a military unit of the German Abwehr during World War II, composed of five German-officered companies of the Caucasian volunteers.- History :...
- Union of Georgian TraditionalistsUnion of Georgian TraditionalistsUnion of Georgian Traditionalists was a national political organization of the Georgian Political Emigration in 1930s.The Union was established in 1942, in Berlin...
- Georgian Uprising of TexelGeorgian Uprising of TexelThe Georgian Uprising on Texel was an insurrection by the 882nd Infantry Battalion Königin Tamara of the Georgian Legion of the German Army stationed on the German occupied Dutch island of Texel . The battalion was made up of 800 Georgians and 400 Germans, with mainly German officers...
- The Georgian Legion (1914-1918)