| ID | 118668 |
| Title Proper | They defended Ukraine |
| Other Title Information | the 14. Waffen-grenadier-division der SS (Galizische Nr. 1) revisited |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Rudling, Per Anders |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | 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. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Slavic Military Studies Vol. 25, No.3; Jul-Sep 2012: p.329-368 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Slavic Military Studies Vol. 25, No.3; Jul-Sep 2012: p.329-368 |
| Key Words | Fourteenth Grenadier Division ; Waffen - SS ; Ukraine ; Nazi Germany ; Myth Makers ; Adolf Hitler |