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World War II reenactment is the historical reenactment of the various combatants involved in World War II. The types of events include living history, which emphasises the garrison life of the average serviceman or servicewoman, and tactical events, involving simulated combat operations. The hobby has expanded significantly since the 1970's and is now practiced around the world.

Some reenactment includes Waffen-SS units, the paramilitary force of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Although banned in Germany and Austria, SS reenacting groups exist elsewhere, including in Europe and North America. By the end of the 1990s there were 20 Waffen-SS reenactment groups.^[1] Historians Charles Sydnor and Rob Citino, have been critical of the ethics and historical context of Waffen-SS reenactments.^[2]

Within the UK, a number of events only allow the portrayal of Allied service personnel and ban the wearing of any German uniform featuring symbols of the Third Reich. In some cases events permit only Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, whilst specifically refusing any SS uniforms.^[3]^[4]

References

Citations

^ Smelser & Davies 2008, pp. 226.
^ The Atlantic 2010.
^ "Nazi uniforms banned at Lancashire Railway WWII event". BBC. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
^ "Nazi uniforms banned from 1940s weekend after visitors came as SS officers". The Telegraph. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

Bibliography

Green, Joshua (2010). "Why Is This GOP House Candidate Dressed as a Nazi?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2015-12-21. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
Smelser, Ronald; Davies, Edward J. (2008). The Myth of the Eastern Front: The Nazi-Soviet War in American Popular Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-83365-3. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

[FOOTNOTESmelserDavies2008226-1] Smelser & Davies 2008, pp. 226.

[FOOTNOTEThe_Atlantic2010-2] The Atlantic 2010.

[3] "Nazi uniforms banned at Lancashire Railway WWII event". BBC. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

[4] "Nazi uniforms banned from 1940s weekend after visitors came as SS officers". The Telegraph. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

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+__NOTOC__
 <noinclude>{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=Waffen-SS reenactment|2=Talk:World War II reenactment#Requested move 28 October 2017 }}
 </noinclude>{{Coat rack|date=October 2017|details=this article lacks a basic overview of the subject and instead is an expanded criticism section of select aspects of the subject, using a [[WP:WEIGHT|limited selection of sources]].}}
 [[File:Bitwa o Berlin rekonstrukcja.JPG|thumb|A reenactment of fighting during the [[Battle of Berlin]]]]
 [[File:Bedford petrol Bowser & Hurricane (9649222728).jpg|thumb|A reenactment of a forward airfield in France: a  [[Bedford Vehicles | Bedford]] petrol bowser  and a [[Hawker Hurricane]] fighter. ]]
-'''World War II reenactment''' is the [[historical reenactment]] of the various combatants involved in [[World War II]]. The types of events include [[living history]], which emphasises the garrison life of the average serviceman or servicewoman, and [[tactical event]]s, involving simulated combat operations. The activities of groups engaged in [[Waffen-SS]] reenacting have been a subject of significant controversy.
+'''World War II reenactment''' is the [[historical reenactment]] of the various combatants involved in [[World War II]]. The types of events include [[living history]], which emphasises the garrison life of the average serviceman or servicewoman, and [[tactical event]]s, involving simulated combat operations. The hobby has expanded significantly since the 1970's and is now practiced around the world.
+Some reenactment includes [[Waffen-SS]] units, the [[paramilitary]] force of the [[Nazi Party]] in [[Nazi Germany]]. Although banned in Germany and Austria, SS reenacting groups exist elsewhere, including in Europe and North America. By the end of the 1990s there were 20 Waffen-SS reenactment groups.{{sfn|Smelser|Davies|2008|pp=226}} Historians Charles Sydnor and [[Robert M. Citino|Rob Citino]], have been critical of the ethics and historical context of Waffen-SS reenactments.{{sfn|The Atlantic|2010}}
-==Waffen-SS reenactment==
-Popular culture of World War II reenactment also includes [[Waffen-SS]] units, the [[paramilitary]] force of the [[Nazi Party]] in [[Nazi Germany]]. Although banned in Germany and Austria, SS reenacting groups exist elsewhere, including in Europe and North America. In U.S. alone, by the end of the 1990s there were 20 Waffen-SS reenactment groups, out of approximately 40 groups dedicated to German World War II units. In contrast, there were 21 groups dedicated to the American units of the same timeframe.{{sfn|Smelser|Davies|2008|pp=226}} The website of the U.S. Waffen-SS reenactor group ''Wiking'' was quoted by ''The Atlantic'' in 2010 as follows:{{sfn|The Atlantic|2010}}
-<blockquote>Nazi Germany had no problem in recruiting the multitudes of volunteers willing to lay down their lives to ensure a "New and Free Europe", free of the threat of Communism. (...) Thousands upon thousands of valiant men died defending their respective countries in the name of a better tomorrow. We salute these idealists.</blockquote>
+Within the UK, a number of events only allow the portrayal of Allied service personnel and ban the wearing of any German uniform featuring symbols of the Third Reich. In some cases events permit only Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, whilst specifically refusing any SS uniforms.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nazi uniforms banned at Lancashire Railway WWII event|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-13572992|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=21 December 2014|author=|date=27 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nazi uniforms banned from 1940s weekend after visitors came as SS officers|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9329730/Nazi-uniforms-banned-from-1940s-weekend-after-visitors-came-as-SS-officers.html|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=21 December 2014|author=|date=13 June 2012}}</ref>
-Historians quoted in ''The Atlantic'' categorically rejected this contemporary characterization. According to Charles Sydnor, these groups "don't know their history" and have "a sanitized, romanticized view of what occurred". [[Robert M. Citino|Rob Citino]] went further and condemned the reenacting activities, stating: "The entire German war effort in the East was a racial crusade to rid the world of 'subhumans'. (...) It sends a shiver up my spine to think that people want to dress up and play SS on the weekend."{{sfn|The Atlantic|2010}}
-==Controversy==
-In 2007, BBC investigative reporter [[John Sweeney (journalist)|John Sweeney]] produced a documentary entitled ''Weekend Nazis'' that delved into the reenactment scene in the UK. Members of German units, especially the [[Second Battle Group]] (SBG)), were interviewed and investigated about their hobby. Two SBG members were covertly filmed expressing racist views. The documentary was broadcast on 27 August 2007; in the ensuing controversy, the SBG issued a statement through their lawyers: "The views alleged to have been made by members of the SBG are, in the opinion of the SBG, fascist, racist and utterly reprehensible and as such are views we strongly oppose."<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561261/Neo-Nazis-infiltrate-WWII-re-enactment-group.html| work=Daily Telegraph| date=2007-08-27| title=Neo-Nazis infiltrate WWII re-enactment group| accessdate=2007-09-05 | location=London | first=Graham | last=Tibbetts}}</ref>
-Within the UK, a number of events now only allow the portrayal of Allied service personnel and ban the wearing of any German uniform featuring the symbols of the Third Reich. In some cases events permit only Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, whilst specifically refusing any SS uniforms.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nazi uniforms banned at Lancashire Railway WWII event|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-13572992|publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=21 December 2014|author=|date=27 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nazi uniforms banned from 1940s weekend after visitors came as SS officers|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9329730/Nazi-uniforms-banned-from-1940s-weekend-after-visitors-came-as-SS-officers.html|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=21 December 2014|author=|date=13 June 2012}}</ref> Some countries across Europe (France and Germany) have laws that have banned Nazi symbols like the [[swastika]]. There have been attempts to try and ban Nazi symbols across the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|title=Call for Europe-wide swastika ban|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4178643.stm|publisher=[[The BBC]]|accessdate=22 December 2014|author=|date=17 January 2005}}</ref>
-In 2010, [[Rich Iott]], a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for US Congress, came under intense scrutiny after images were released showing him wearing an SS uniform.{{sfn|The Atlantic|2010}} Iott defended his interest in historical reenactment.<ref>{{cite web|title=House Candidate Rich Iott Defends Nazi Uniform Photos|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tea-party-nazi-reenactor-rick-iott-defends/story?id=11845422/64319/|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=22 December 2014|author=|date=8 October 2010}}</ref>
 ==See also==

v t e Historical reenactment
Concepts	Authenticity Farb
Event types	Combat Living history Tactical event
Periods	Classical Dark Ages Medieval Renaissance fairs English Civil War Regency Fur trade Victorian England (Dickens fairs) American Civil War Modern World War I World War II Korean War