Alsace Lorraine, a disputed area where both germans and frenchmans lived were subject to German conscriptions law as well as Luwemburg. When France surrendered, many thought it was the end of the war. However, many pows remained for years although programs such as sending french workers to Germany in exchange of freedom of pfws. Most want to forget the horrible ordeal and Philippe Petain quite agree. He said that the collapse of France is the culmination of wider issues in french society. Ha made a call for a naitonal regeneration. A society focused on traditions, family and anti modernism. Work, family and country was their motto. The same day the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, Jacques Doriot from the popular party proposed sending a legion of french volunteers to fight alongside the Germans in their so called crusade against the communism bolchevism. Then followed a compaign to recruit. The legion was named " légion des volontaires français ". Despite the impressive recruitement campaign, only 1 600 volunteers came forward. Half of them only passed the medical examinations. Between July 1941 and June 1944, there were 13 000 of these applicants. Half of them made it though. Doriot set off with his first set of volunteers in september 1941 to Poland. Some were disappointed as they were expecting to fight in french uniforms. They didn't expect to swear to Adolf Hitler, the former commander in chief. However their worries were quickly sooth with the help of their priest Jean de Mayo de Lupe, an enthousiatic national socialiste. In october 1941, they set up for their crusade. On 6th November, they reached Smolensk adn they were no better equiped for that year's winter that the Germans were. Regardless they marched toward Moscow while their heavy equipment followed.
When they reached the outskirts of Moscow at 60 kilometers of the capital, the numbers weren't pretty. 400 had already been lost to sickness or had become stragglers. One third of men were suffering from dysentery and It was just the beginning. On 1st December, one of the two french battalions wanted to attack the 32nd Siberian division. in the middle of a snowstorm. it was not a fair fight but by the time one week has passed the first french battalion was so depleted it had to be replaced. 65 frenchmens were dead. 120 wounded and 300 had frostbite. Lieutenant colonel Richie reported that in military training, the ncos are quite good but can't do much because of their inneficiency period. The officiers are incapable and only recruited for political criteria. The legion is not fit for combat. Improving can only be reached by renewing the officer corps. The regiment was sent back to Poland where 1 500 volunteers and most of the officers were dismissed and sent back to France. A new wave of volunteers arrived to replace them. 2 batallions emerged. The second one being formed only with enw volunteers. At the end there were 3 battalions with 900 mens. They were sent off separatly to security division behind the line to assist the anti partisan war. During The french volunteers were stilla far cry from the the scandinavian, dutchmen and flemings of the SS Viking who blazed their way into Ukraine and Caucasus. In July 1943, Colonel Edgar Powd, a former officer in the french foreign legion was given command of the lvf patar ended up being a general in the french army. But the Germans didn't accept this and functionned as Whermacht colonel in the reality. In that year 91 officers, 390 ncos 2 825 soldiers set off from France for the Eastern Front for frequent incidents.
In general they were despised by most frenchmen. Everyone viewed them with suspicions. Germans solemns was both politically and military suspect in July. In July direct enlisment to the waffen SS was opened up as the SS began to accept non germanics in their ranks and slowly took responsabilites for foreign volunteers that the army had previously held. This moved attracted 3 000 volunteers. The new formation is named french SS volunteers Grenadier Regiment. There were also other frenchmen setelsewhere in the German Army and Navy as well. Some were in the police. However some of them joined the SS. First it was about fighting for the glory of France and the group was interwined with the collaborationist parties back in France. However it was now more into fighting for Europe as a whole as the war continued to go on. 2 weeks after the battle outside Minsk in July 1944 during the Soviet Operation Bagration, the battered french survivors were at griefenberg at Pomerania now Poland where the french servicemen in the German armed force were being gathered. The reason was an order saying that foreign soldiers should be transferred to the Waffen SS. In August a momentous step was taken and Waffen SS Charlemagne Brigade was born on the orders of Heirich Himmler. They assemble near Kunitz at the Waffen SS training area. as well as 3 000 to 3 500 french volunteers in the German navy. On 5th November 1944, another 1 500 frenchmen volunteers appeared to swell the ranks of Charlemagne. These come from the middle east, a group formed originally as french Pierre Laval's private police force which turned into a sort of paramilitary organization to bring order in France with the rise of french resistance. The group was unarmed first and by the time they got target by some french resistants.
They made a deal with the SS because of that. In exchange of light weapons, the melice would promote the Waffen SS enlistment, one of those who joined after the deal was on the refinay a key man in the Charlemagne. By mid 1944, the melice was essentially at the forefront of a civil war in France where they tried to defend their legitimate french government against a balloning resistance and then the Allied invasion as the Allies gained the upper hand. The melice didn't expect any mercy to be given to them. And they fled east with their families and the Germans. In August 1944, there were 6 000 milicians ggathered along with 4 000 of their families members in Alsace. The 1 500 Charlemagne men came from this group and where the remainder were taken to further safety in the interior or northern Italy where they would join the anti partisan war. Those staying in France met with the expected prize. Dozens were handed to court and merciless executed. Thousands of french were now exiled in Germany primary for this reason. Some Charlemagne members would fight until death. Every volunteer had the right to transfer in the Waffen SS at the time. To determinate the terms of enlistmentformally entered into by him with others arms of the Wehrmacht that was equally applicable to the new arrivals. Those who waited to leave should be released without making it difficult for them. Neverless they could only use this opportunity once. Almost all french volunteers considered their engagement to be in the defense of the Christian West, a point that played a decisive role in their enrollment in France.
Also there were no question on applying the national socialism propaganda among the volunteers. They were to remain french and not just french speaking SS. Also the prestige of the french flag and the prestige of the french soldier remained supreme not only in battle but in also in the way German civilian population regarded them.
non je ne connais pas son pseudo, faudrait que je demande à mon père il doit être au courant, je sais qu'il a un bouquin d'epoque qui retrace tous les assaults de chaque groupe du coins, avec les pertes ennemis et amis de répertorier ainsi que le matériel allemands détruits.
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