Poles in The Wehrmacht - Volksliste

Volksliste

There were also thousands of pre-war citizens of the Second Polish Republic who served in German forces during the war. Most of them were people who accepted so-called Volksliste ("German People's List"). In several areas, mainly Upper Silesia, Zaolzie, Pomerania, and Masuria, Poles were forced to sign these documents. Rejection of Volksliste often led to deportation to a concentration camp. Many people were compelled by force and many took Volksliste fearing the consequences. Some of those who took Volksliste were later drafted into the German forces. It was significant that the Polish government-in-exile knew about it, and Prime Minister general Władysław Sikorski approved. One-fourth of Silesian and Kashubian men of that time served in Wermacht.

SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner wrote in his book Die Freiwilligen der Waffen-SS. Idee und Opfergang that he based his organization on the Legionnaires of Józef Piłsudski. According to him, the young Polish patriots and their leader were the ideal form of "Kameradschaft" (camaraderie) - a specific union between soldiers and their officers, based on mutual understanding.

It is not known what Hitler thought about Poles as soldiers, but one fact is certain - he distrusted them. His opinion of Polish soldiers was based on the notions of Erich Ludendorff, who reminded Hitler that during World War I the majority of Poles did not want to fight for Germany.

On March 30, 1943, SS Headquarters refused to create Polish units, citing the following reasons:

• thousands of Poles fled both the German and Austrian armies in 1917–1918;

• propaganda reasons - the creation of Polish units would mean that Poles and Germans should be officially treated as equal;

• the unsupportive stance of the SD; and

• the fact that the Poles themselves were not willing to fight for Germany.