Nazi Recruitment of the French

Waffen-SS recruiting poster

During WWII the Waffen-SS was a military force of Nazi Germany.
At first units were racially "Aryan" but in 1940, divisions made up of foreign volunteers were authorized.

The Charlemagne Regiment was one of the groups of French volunteers in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS which numbered over 7,000 a its peak. Some of the last defenders of Berlin in 1945, were Charlemagne members of the French Waffen-SS.

Under the command of Himmler, the SS perpetrated many of the most horrific Nazi war crimes of WWII.

"You too! Your friends await you in the French Division of the Armed SS." An SS recruitment poster in the French language. 1944. The SS stood for Schutzstaffel, meaning Protection Squadron.

*Disclaimer: World War II posters, insignias and documents of Nazi Germany, Russia, Italy, and Japan, are displayed on this website as historical documents of the time period. They are not intended to promote or condone any political, racial, military, religious, or social views and/or actions. This website does not condone genecide.