| Azerbaijani Legion | |
|---|---|
 Late 1943 pattern of the patch worn by the Azerbaijani Legion | |
| Active | August 2, 1942 |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Wehrmacht |
| Engagements | World War II |
The Azerbaijani Legion, or in German, Aserbaidschanische Legion, was one of the foreign units of the Wehrmacht. The Azerbaijani Legion was formed in December 1941 as the Kaukasische-Mohammedanische Legion (Muslim Caucasus Legion) and was re-designated 1942 into two separate legions, the North Caucasian legion and the Azerbaijani legion.[1] It was made up mainly of former Azerbaijani POW volunteers but also volunteers from other peoples in the area. It was part of the Ostlegionen. It was used to form the 162nd (Turkistan) Infanterie-Division of the Wehrmacht in 1943.[2] Later, some of these Azerbaijanis joined the Azeri Waffen SS Volunteer Formations.
Many Azerbaijanis joined here in hopes of liberating their homeland from Soviet occupation. One Azerbaijani soldier who was captured said to the Germans he was anti-Bolshevik, and only wanted an opportunity to free his homeland.[3]
See also[]
Azerbaijani legionnaires chatting with Grand Mufti Hajj Amin al-Husseini (December 19, 1942, Haus der Flieger, Berlin)
- Azeri SS Volunteer Formations
- Ostlegionen
- Reichskommissariat Kaukasus
- Abdurrahman Fatalibeyli
References[]
- ↑ Christopher J Ailsby. Hitler's Renegades: Foreign Nationals in the Service of the Third Reich. Potomac Books; New Ed edition, published in 2004, page 123
- ↑ On Azerbaijani Legion
- ↑ Dallin, Alexander(1981) German Rule in Russia, 1941-1945: A Study of Occupation Policies, p. 540
The original article can be found at Azerbaijani Legion and the edit history here.