The Tragic Fate of the Soviet Helpers – What Happened to Hiwis in German Ranks during World War II? скачать в хорошем качестве

The Tragic Fate of the Soviet Helpers – What Happened to Hiwis in German Ranks during World War II?

During World War II, the German Army recruited hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens and Eastern Europeans as Hiwis (Hilfswillige, or “voluntary helpers”). Initially used in non-combat roles such as drivers, cooks, and laborers, many Hiwis were later armed and deployed in frontline units. These volunteers included Ukrainians, Latvians, Lithuanians, and Russians, many of whom had been captured as prisoners of war or lived under Soviet rule. Motivated by anti-Communist sentiment, survival, or hostility toward Stalin’s regime, they saw service with the Germans as a preferable alternative to Soviet captivity or forced labor. By 1944, over 600,000 Hiwis served in various capacities, including in Wehrmacht combat units and auxiliaries like the infamous Trawniki men. Although German attitudes toward them ranged from suspicion to respect, many Hiwis proved loyal and effective. Their presence highlights the complex loyalties and harsh realities of the Eastern Front, where ideological and ethnic conflicts shaped individual choices. History Hustle presents: The Tragic Fate of the Soviet Helpers – What Happened to Hiwis in German Ranks during World War II? SUPPORT ME ON PATREON ►   / historyhustler   SUPPORT ME ON PAYPAL ► https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Histo... SUBSCRIBE ►    / @historyhustle   INSTAGRAM ►   / historyhustle   FACEBOOK ►   / historyhustler   TWITTER ►   / hustlehistory   SOURCES – Stalingrad (Antony Beevor). – Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (Christopher R. Browning). – Russia's War (Richard Overy). – Hitler's Russian & Cossack Allies 1941-45 [Men-at-arms] (Nigel Thomas). IMAGES Images from commons.wikimedia.org. VIDEO Video material from:    • Battle of Stalingrad Color Footage [1942-1...   Battle of Stalingrad Color Footage [1942-1943] | HD WW2    • WW2: Battle Of Stalingrad (Intense Footage)   WW2: Battle Of Stalingrad (Intense Footage)    • German Newsweek No. 628- 16 Sep. 1942 [Ful...   German Newsweek No. 628- 16 Sep. 1942 [Full HD ](U-Boats St. Lawrence river, Caucasus/Stalingrad) "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." MUSIC "Constancy Part One" "Lost Frontier" "Dark Times" "Failing Defense" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... SOUNDS Freesound.org. E-MAIL historyhustle[at]gmail.com