 On the Axis side, the "Armenische Legion" was created within the "Wehrmacht", which consisted mainly of Soviet prisoners of war, who had opted to fight for German forces rather than be sent to the Nazi POW camps or killed.The legion was led by former Defence Minister of Armenia General Drastamat Kanayan, who fought against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front.Kanayan was among the minority in the legion who volunteered, under the hope of freeing Armenia from Soviet control.