In the annexed territories, a broad-based Germanization policy was enforced. Under the Nazi “carrot-and-stick” approach, the “stick” was particularly harsh, leading the majority of those affected to eventually conform to the notion of “Germanness.” Soon after, these individuals were conscripted into military service.

After conscription and basic training, the “non-German” soldiers were dispersed among various units to integrate them into “proper” Germans. Their trustworthiness was highly limited: they were closely monitored, forbidden from speaking their native languages, and generally not promoted to higher ranks. To remove them from their environment, their training took place in Germany or other occupied countries.

It is important to note that while some of these soldiers embraced Nazi ideology, many others actively resisted by defecting to the Allies or joining partisans. However, the majority were „in between,“ caught in a complex mix of obedience, loyalty to the authorities, and fear of repercussions. They were ordinary people trying to survive amid the chaos of the times.

Their attitudes toward the Third Reich and military service varied widely. Many Alsatians, Luxembourgers, Slovenes, Belgians, Poles, Czechs, and Silesians wore the German uniform reluctantly. They felt trapped in a foreign conflict and often saw themselves as victims of the war, much like the populations of the occupied countries.

IN UNWILLING SERVICE

The Wehrmacht, established by the Nazis in 1935 as a mass army, fully embodied Nazi ideology, including its distorted racial doctrines. Contrary to traditional civic principles, the new conscription law explicitly defined the Wehrmacht as a purely ethnic and national German force. Ethnic minorities were deemed unworthy of the „privilege“ of military service and were instead relegated to roles within the war economy.

During the war, however, the staggering number of casualties forced the Nazis to recruit soldiers from wherever they could. They began enlisting individuals from territories occupied and annexed by the Reich, subjected to extensive Germanization. Besides those who identified as German, many recruits were from other nationalities. A significant number also came from mixed families or did not see nationality as a central aspect of their identity.

The Nazis exerted immense pressure on the local populations to declare themselves as „German“ or „of German blood,“ and even formally designated them as Reich citizens. Subsequently, the male members of these families were conscripted into the army and compelled to fight for German interests. Many of these soldiers served involuntarily, and some were explicitly coerced.

As a result, tens of thousands of Alsatians, Slovenes, Belgians, Silesians, Czechs, Poles, and other ethnic groups of Slavic or non-German origin served in the Nazi army. Some spoke very little German. The Nazis attempted to disperse these recruits among different units, though this was not always successful, and their numbers sometimes exceeded the intended five percent.

Distrusted by the Nazis, these soldiers often served in rear areas or in guard duties in occupied countries, typically away from their home regions. They were under constant surveillance by their superiors and the military police. Many expressed their dissatisfaction in various ways, with some actively resisting, deserting, or collaborating with resistance movements and partisan units.

Their interactions with the local population were limited, who generally viewed them as just another group of German occupiers. However, when they did interact, locals occasionally recognized that some of these soldiers were as much victims of the Nazis as they were.

Numbers

The exact numbers of conscripted individuals are difficult to determine. In Western Europe—France, Belgium, Luxembourg—the Nazis aimed to Germanize the majority of the population, pushing for widespread integration. In contrast, in the annexed Polish and Czechoslovak territories, particularly with the Slavic population whom they deemed inferior, the policy focused more on segregation.

In the East, Nazi interests were concentrated on individuals of mixed or ethnically indifferent backgrounds, whom they considered more amenable to Germanization due to their existing German cultural influences. In other words, while forced conscription in the West targeted the vast majority of the population, in the East it was limited to a select group.

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¹ The total population of the annexed territories in the East was 11.6 million. Of this, approximately 1.8 million were recognized as fully German. Another 1.9 million people were categorized as having „German roots,“ meaning they were deemed suitable for Germanization.