Poles in German Forces
Around 500,000 people who were citizens of Poland before 1939 were drafted into the German armed forces during the war. These were mostly people who were considered by the Nazi authorities to be ethnically German (Volksdeutsche). The degree of loyalty of these soldiers to the Nazi cause varied; tens of thousands of them volunteered to join Polish formations after being taken prisoner by the Allies (15,000 joined in 1944 alone during fighting in Western Europe).
Read more about this topic: Polish Contribution To World War II
Famous quotes containing the words poles, german and/or forces:
“The Poles do not know how to hate, thank God.”
—Stefan, Cardinal Wyszynski (1901–1981)
“The French courage proceeds from vanity—the German from phlegm—the Turkish from fanaticism & opium—the Spanish from pride—the English from coolness—the Dutch from obstinacy—the Russian from insensibility—but the Italian from anger.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“Anarchism is the great liberator of man from the phantoms that have held him captive; it is the arbiter and pacifier of the two forces for individual and social harmony.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)