july january senior german nazi official held rank und general der lieutenant general chief responsible recruiting world war served german_army world war wounded times awarded iron cross class immediately war leader militia native joined lost interest right wing politics 1920s training working physical education teacher late 1920s rejoined member paramilitary clashed leaders joined initially responsible physical education region soon transferred staff head sports office appointed head recruiting office taking chief following year significant extent father implemented recruiting structures policies assisted controls conscription extended recruiting volunteers scandinavia western europe ethnic germans outside finally peoples way reflected ideas racial purity sponsored protected friend placed command unit convicted criminals subsequently committed war crimes areas operated clashed senior officers senior officers recruiting methods skills largely responsible growth total divisions war end undertook roles stages war continuing chief key role allowing direct economic activity east role proposed plan kidnap eastern european children ages plan subsequently carried response august appointed military commander slovakia responsible suppressing revolt following month appointed chiefs staff militia chief prisoner war camps final months war commanded german forces alps included remnants units helped recruit surrendered troops near promptly arrested tried convicted war crimes sentenced years imprisonment sentence soon reduced years released serving half years release advocated rehabilitation worked manufacturing businesses died hometown early life involvement born july son saw mill owners née children attended elementary school junior high school teacher training volunteered military service beginning world war rose rank infantry time discharge wounded times awarded iron cross class considered cent disabled time discharge war brothers died killed action executed spy united_states temperament conservative politics fitted leadership role married maria née joining arrested briefly held custody adolf_hitler hall november trained worked physical education teacher despite injuries lost interest politics years rejoining paramilitary january career limited ideas politics leadership nazi seizure power january found suitable lead operations involved rounding jews political april clashes younger leaders meant career met dead end peers criticised ambitious nature lack self reflection beginning july worked training chief school inspector near senior official recruited recommendation initially appointed oversee sports physical training moved personal staff head sports office behalf world war imprisoned years offences minor release prison influence ensure join fight spanish civil war july appointed chief recruiting department quickly developed powerful tool ambitions according german_army initially dismissive idea combat troops quoted commander chief army von saying militarily trained shouldn play soldiers played key role directing fifth column crisis czechoslovakia skills displayed marked highly suitable recruiting role later claimed come idea combat troops wearing camouflage jackets hunting days suggested commander forms camouflage issued author doubts account achieved rank initial rank joining based service chief initial expansion prior outbreak world war responsible organising civilian political organisation war began clear departments looking troops performed poorly invasion poland deficiencies organisation equipment training obvious specifically chief held responsible soon way head recruiting unified recruiting system main organisations police august negotiated recruiting agreement created strong recruiting young men following polish campaign hitler approved expansion combat troops divisions bringing strength reinforced regiment achieve goal commencement planned invasion france low countries needed partially trained personnel recruiting transferring men forces control ran concentration camps combat trained police reinforcements adding men existing regiments expanded force approved ceiling including trained replacements new divisions division later given commanded inspector commanded commanded und der december promoted chief significant extent father term coined agreement dated march new term smooth friction combined new formations new found authority recruiting matters irritated chiefs districts previously responsible function came head chief refused recognise delegate district referring low ranking empire builder series letters berlin came power influence waned outbreak war conscription members police ultimately threatened arrest delegate intervened personally february stating unpleasant consequences throw support recruiting organisation supremacy recruiting firmly established recruits despite success negotiate opposed attempts expand turn early chief der high command number issues recruiting reflecting strong influence hitler april promoted according intended army war intended reduced seven active reserve divisions created recruiting structure army controlled draft willing allow recruits maintain divisions want expansion look outside time numbered originated post areas outside borders germany april germans invaded occupied denmark norway opening source recruits quick exploit invasion france low countries resulting regiment joined dutch belgian flemish regiment time recruiting regiments delegates focusing gaining ethnic german volunteers outside men subject controlled draft recruited help son law political leader weeks invasion belgium appointed president german sponsored pro nazi belgian political party worked bring influence able achieve months prior invasion country axis april recruiting work flemish croatian communities facilitated friction end filled authorised new recruits kept signing young men create reserve replace older field divisions supplement pool continued recruiting police regiments control strengths approved hitler continued create friction potential recruits forces control range methods diverted manpower younger age groups targeted areas outside subject recruiting controls imposed recruiting restrictions came head june chief operations staff initiated investigation recruiting operations result held military district headquarters aware inquiry advised inquiries success giving example believed exceeded june men fact true figure boasted recruiting campaign signed men hitler authorised recruiting division period justify actions pointed fact french surrender hitler ordered release age meant strong formation remarkably successful despite obstacles placed path having recruited nearly men mid january end june fresh troops sufficient replace released categories late july knew future assured hitler considering invading soviet_union organisation august reorganised focus better main role recruiting creating separate sections deal recruiting inside outside section developed briefing received chief expectations upcoming invasion soviet_union included raising fourth division expansion brigade realised fall short manpower needs year problematic relationship responsible organising training wanted small elite corps knew hitler needed divisions possible meant formations lesser quality initial efforts integrating recruits western europe scandinavia inadequate insufficient emphasis training appointing officers non commissioned officers ranks new recruits paid attention retention ranks members national armed forces liaison home territories mail researched report failures soon issued detailed instructions handling new recruits moment joined obvious sources manpower nearly troops regiments consisted youths conscription age older regiments control deployed german occupied europe political police security functions carried clearly capabilities september unit deployed area occupied poland established defensive positions provided guards jewish labour camp late order ensure instructions carried established special camp occupied recruits brought physical standards prior training attempt address concerns commanders quality recruits ability integrated units composed recruits sent camp included ethnic germans outside dutch created network offices german occupied europe ensure welfare families recruits influence local communities support recruiting prepare potential recruits network activities strongly resisted ethnic germans german arm responsible guiding ethnic german communities outside unhappy work supporting recruiting abolish authorised end basis formation fourth division casting source recruits struck idea enlisting convicted criminals concentrated commanded friend returned spain reinstated der reserve march founded responsible recruitment men encompassed camp network recruiting offices established occupied europe separate department separate sections leadership recruiting education regional sub sections april expanded divisional strength following commencement invasion soviet_union commenced sixth division formed regiments designated infantry regiments new divisions initial strength thirds original divisions renamed division expectations recruiting network continued increase casualties began mount earnest west europeans early april hitler agreed creation authorised strength men recruited flanders netherlands formation push autonomous flemish dutch region significant proponents union netherlands exploiting actually working hitler idea incorporating flanders wallonia unified autonomous entity end april ordered obtain new recruits end hitler recruitment lifted allowing essentially free hand limited time misleading new recruits length service obligation signing new troops years old meet target called eligible members intensified efforts recruit western europeans initiative proved disappointing total coming source total finnish combat veterans volunteered join period sent join national june commencement hitler decreed recruit foreigners service eastern wanted legion raised occupied countries western_europe interested recruiting people decided large numbers potential pro german recruits available races occupied countries directed explore manpower source result decision permitted recruit dutch flemish swedish norwegian danish men domain national numbered maximum strength idea poorly managed new recruits badly treated german instructors news reached home territories flow volunteers dried november completed light infantry training sent join 2nd swore personal oath hitler subject rules regulations members wore national symbols place failed carry commitments men national enlisted combined abuse german staff instructors negative impact morale willingness men volunteer national fully recovered despite intervention behest division encouraged success achieved romania help son law proposed recruiting sphere communities romania hungary yugoslavia contained million ethnic germans little proposal time yugoslavia overrun axis romania hungary joined pact immediately lightning quick defeat yugoslavia april pressed accept renamed withdrawn prepare way germany yugoslavia romania gathered ethnic german volunteers smuggled country content fairly minor recruiting effort proposed raise seventh division ethnic germans yugoslavia long term plan end faced partisan led uprising yugoslavia hitler authorised raising division foreign divisions dramatically change composition remainder war division formed existing controlled militia drawn ethnic germans willingness local ethnic german population volunteer service outside homeland initially struggled attract volunteers applied ultimately approved conscription basis archaic law general january issued order titled unit formally incorporated later year judge issued arrest warrant chief intervened saying better shoot poles savage country governed decent manner baltic weeks invasion soviet_union teams begun recruiting baltic volunteers police units forming security battalions volunteers recruited battalions split approach recruiting baltic region continued units line fighting year decided exploit nationalists baltic states order gain access recruits lukewarm initial proposal casualties started mount changed mind approved formation despite initial proposed formation approved end recruiting meantime suffered casualties february particularly replace turned attention agreement enlisted ethnic german recruits hungary march campaign ongoing april promoted september complained stating recruits medically unsuitable enlisting fact ethnic hungarians late romania combined form division november chief advised proposal received hungarian division financed selling emigration permits jews national national attached fought eastern early unable replace losses survivors incorporated authorised hitler end regiments new division formed survivors legion legion supplemented transfers new recruits occupied west european countries broken replacements number formations states mainly motivated anti communism historian observes national legion recruits motivated political ideological according motives west european recruits paid mere lip service idea joined anti communist cause november orders issued conversion divisions following month hitler ordered formation divisions new divisions raised named february told needed stronger ideological training result issued series pamphlets racial ideology including described certain peoples mentally lower animals february following approach german youth leader division raised told idea approved hitler commence planning appoint commander new division telling march upgraded division april losses tunisia allowed recruit foreign workers objections minister armaments war production august recruited labourers completed selection june promoted und general der later month new division 12th division officially activated july awarded silver end integrated wider drew badge reward sporting prowess skills highly prized members result approved august believed actually awarded end national significantly expanded dutch regiment form independent revamped flemish contingent assembled gave french volunteer regiment france end war formations given divisional status despite fact grew brigade strength complaints quality recruits effect approach concluded agreements hungary romania imposed puppet regimes croatia effectively conscription ethnic germans territories german occupied territory serbia annexed poland parts soviet_union ethnic germans arbitrary manner end quarter strength baltic divisions baltic legion complete training developments overtaken west european eastern like west european decided combine baltic larger formations resulted consisting elements 1st formed parts 2nd origins men infantry brigades formations purely baltic long new volunteer brigades formed committed battle upgraded divisional status baltic division authorised manpower security battalions man maintain new divisions ordered conscription men officers non commissioned officers liable service included divisions 15th 1st 19th 2nd 20th 1st divisions later combined divisions fought defence encircled destroyed subsequent fighting balkan muslim divisions february ideals racial purity significantly division raised clearly outside racial ethnic manpower muslim community bosnia 13th 1st croatian went action february limited value especially outside area operations eastern bosnia achieved successes proved competent counter operations partisans eastern bosnia division earned reputation brutality combat operations atrocities committed jewish civilians security zone attacks northern eastern bosnia left hundreds possibly thousand civilians dead spring summer muslim divisions raised 21st 1st 23rd 2nd croatian muslims divisions significant combat value muslim divisions dissolved end division time balkan muslim experiment divisions raised ukrainian russian hungarian men demonstrating racial longer entry requirement april recruiting campaign began living polish territory austrian prior ukrainian nationalists referred sub human matter months resulting division 14th 1st brief period desperate fighting members division escaped destruction outstanding combat division saw action early directed governments hungary state transfer serving armed forces amounted troops approach repeated face mounting casualties soviet security units manned russians combined form divisions 29th 1st russian 30th 2nd russian reached regimental size division handed saw combat second saw action western late white brigade march saw action period late eastern european formations raised converted existing smaller units included 25th 1st hungarian 26th 2nd hungarian 31st volunteer division number smaller formations brigade regimental size units transferred increased size taking russian prisoners war boost numbers wartime activities july appointed liaison officer convinced appoint chief political operations long wanted responsibilities placed hands appointment meant sabotage resistance domination economy population east appointment took effect august lasted january role proposed plan kidnap eastern european children ages june issued orders implementing idea prisoners war july responsibility administration german prisoner war camps transferred followed failed attempt hitler life earlier month turned faithful head chief quickly delegated responsibility september responsibility formally transferred act integrate new responsibilities bureaucracy instead allowed camps continue staff procedures war claimed reluctant new responsibility told hitler resulting dressing claimed hitler told destroy stored red_cross supplies stop red_cross block arrival red_cross supplies camps asserted hitler wanted according quietly avoided carrying orders countered plan luftwaffe establish centres major cities human shields air raids authors observed claims independently verified testimony refuted claims concluded claims actions assist unbelievable noted raise claims trial war autobiography claims verified extent work protect group high ranking important held castle april total including nephew british prime minister winston_churchill arranged evacuated transported south handed advancing troops uprising august uprising broke german puppet government state revolt centred high low mountains rebellion led members government included elements british trained uprising relying rapid advance state despite fact soviet armies kilometres away time revolt began reach rebels time august appointed military commander slovakia held sway weeks september advised awarded iron cross second class work slovakia replaced relinquished role military commander slovakia september appointed organise germany chief staff germany situation deteriorated hitler decided form local militia defend communities september hitler appointed private secretary head form given responsibility military organisation equipment new militia delegated chiefs staff organisation resisted attempts remained largely control local recruiting conducted field command months war western allies concerned hitler concentrate remaining forces alps idea lines potential refuge russians fortress fears existence alpine fortress resulted diversion strong forces southern parts plan fact surrender ceremony german general der general commander sixth told german troops cut alps commanded remnants including fragments 17th division 35th intended surrender separately american forces days delay managed locate regimental commander near south following day arrested assessments described competent ruthless war time ardent anti proponent historian described skilled bureaucratic blunt manner expression humour known nicknamed der play god german word god referred phrase praise god nickname duke reflecting origins ultimately responsible large numbers foreign recruits joined despite fact preferred field command trusted senior recruiting skills meant kept chief war exception short period higher police leader german client autumn attempted uprising september number non germans soon minimal force included divisions majority non germans divisions exclusively manned half personnel outside war crimes trial arrest remained allied custody pending trial military tribunal war crimes initially defendant proposed prisoners war trial eventually included known subsequent trials final indictment defendants lodged november trial commenced january judges presiding powers ended april indictment counts formed indictment crimes peace common plan conspiracy war crimes murder ill treatment prisoners war count stricken trial war crimes crimes humanity atrocities offences committed civilian populations slave labour membership criminal organisations evidence trial claimed aware war prosecution produced evidence present infamous speeches explicitly spoken jews defence counsel claimed client believe word regard jews speech lawyer went attempt actions claiming cold war bore strong parallels nazi fight jews possibility fight soviet_union near future war wrote article national believe says europe stands end fight instigated jewish world parasite strongest enemy claimed unit commanded text second speech uncovered cast dubious light claim displayed remorse actions majority tribunal declared impossible believe testimony knew plans destroy jews heard final solution war court accepted claim saved lives allied safety hitler orders shot held hostages court determined orders placed danger order intervene behalf question contrast found guilty transporting hungarian jews concentration camps recruiting concentration camp guards stated evidence considered half breed unfit judgement acquitted counts parts counts acquitted count convicted count relating murder french division killed death hands french resistance october parts count relating involvement conscious participant concentration camp program conscription nationals countries convicted count seven relating children youth slave labour program including convicted count judge powers handed opinion stating view responsible murder sentence review counts convicted sentenced years imprisonment received credit nearly years custody awaiting trial observes given status defendants body evidence sentences given indicted trial light sentences reviewed war criminals responsible providing advice high commissioner germany january determined reduce sentence years imprisonment stating appeared convicted murder given greater weight active save lives allied officers men hitler orders held hostages explain held responsible murder despite majority finding tribunal bore command responsibility murder released prison december having spent total half years custody release release prison worked native managed curtain rail factory contributed articles monthly right wing journal published occasionally wrote articles encouraging greater consideration members wife children wolf died january awards received following awards medals life books 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Gottlob Berger