Georgian Legion (1941–1945)

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Georgian Legion on parade displaying flag of Independent Georgia, Germany 1943.

The Georgian Legion (German: Georgische Legion, Georgian: ქართული ლეგიონი, k’artuli legioni) was a name of the two different Georgian military formations within the German armies during the First and Second World Wars, respectively. Their established aim was the restoration of Georgia’s independence from Imperial Russia and then from the Soviet Union.

The Georgian Legion (1914-1918)

The World War I-era Georgian Legion was formed by Georgian political émigrés and students with the support of the German Empire-based Committee of Independent Georgia in 1915 and joined the German Caucasus expedition. Some seven hundred strong, it was first commanded by Lieutenant Horst Schliephack, later succeeded by Count Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg, a former German vice-consul in Tiflis, who then served as a German liaison officer with the Ottoman 3rd Army. The highest-ranking Georgian officer of the Legion was Leo Kereselidze. Late in 1915, the Order of Queen Tamar was introduced for issue to the soldiers and officers of the Georgian Legion.

During the Russo-Turkish campaign of 1916-7, the Georgian Legion was stationed in the mountains east of Tirebolu, on the banks of the Harshit River not far from the Black Sea coast. The reinforcements were raised largely from the Muslim Georgian areas and Lazistan. The Legion was originally intended to promote a revolt in Russian-held Georgia, and remained under German control, while the Ottomans sought to use it as a normal battalion within their army. In the end it took very little part in the fighting, being stationed on the Black Sea coast at Giresun until disbanded in January 1917, after the relations between the German-backed Georgian Committee and the Ottoman government had become strained. The former Georgian volunteer officers later joined the National Army of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918.

The Georgian Legion (1941-1945)

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General Shalva Maglakelidze in German uniform.

During the Second World War, the Wehrmacht’s ethnic Georgian Legion was formed from émigrés living in Western Europe after the 1921 Soviet invasion of Georgia, combined with Soviet prisoners of war of Georgian origin who were enlisted, while facing certain death from starvation, disease, forced labor and brutality in POW camps (see Foreign volunteer units of the Wehrmacht).

Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, though they never reached Soviet Georgia. The Georgian Legion was formed in December 1941. The Georgians trained in the western Ukraine and became operational in the autumn of 1942. At least 30,000 Georgians served in the Nazi armed forces. The Georgians served in 13 field battalions of up to 800 men, each having 5 companies. Georgians were also found in the Wehrmacht's North Caucasian Legion and in other Caucasian ethnic legions. The Georgian military formations were commanded by Schalwa Maglakelidse, Michel-Fridon Zulukidse and other officers formerly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-21).

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Georgian officers resting on the bench.

This venture was largely hampered by the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg. Adolf Hitler himself was greatly suspicious of the Georgian and other Soviet battalions. Across Europe, especially in Italy and France, many Georgian soldiers of the Wehrmacht deserted and joined local Resistance Movements. Eventually, some of the ethnic Georgian units were disbanded and their officers repressed. Many Georgians under Nazi domination were saved only by the intervention of Alexander Nikuradze and some other Georgian scholars who were held in high esteem in Germany. As a result of Hitler’s distrust of osttruppen (eastern troops), the remaining Georgian battalions were moved west to occupation duties in the Netherlands. With the western allies driving into Germany, the Texel-based 822nd Georgian battalion rebelled against their German overlords. The resulting battle, sometimes described as Europe's last battle, continued from April 5, 1945 past the general German surrender, until May 20. This event is the relatively well-known Georgian Uprising of Texel.

In accordance with inter-allied agreements, all Soviet citizens were to be repatriated, by force if necessary, to the Soviet Union. The Soviets treated those who wore German uniforms, such as those in the Georgian Legion, as traitors. They were punished upon their return, with many exiled to Siberia or Central Asia.

List of Georgian units in Wermacht (does not include Georgian Abwehr, SS¹ and Luftwaffe)

• 795 Battalion "Shalva Maglakelidze"

Fighting: 1942 in North Ossetia, 1943 in France

• 796 Battalion.

Fighting: 1942/43 in Tuapse, North Caucasus

• 797 Battalion "Giorgi Saakadze"

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

• 798 Battalion"King Erekle II Bagrationi"

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

• 799 Battalion "King David Bagrationi-Aghmashenebeli"

Fighting: 1943/44 in France

• 822 Battalion "Queen Tamar"

Fighting: 1943/44/45 in France and on Texel (The Netherlands)

• 823 Battalion "Shota Rustaveli"

• 824 Battalion "Ilia Chavchavadze"

Fighting: 1944 in Lviv, Ukraine Lviv or Lvov, was then part of Poland.

¹ SS Waffengruppe "Georgien" was formed on December 11, 1944 and commanded by Waffen-Standartenfuhrer der SS Michail Pridon Tsulukidze

References

• Lang, David Marshall (1962), A Modern History of Georgia, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

See also

• Tetri Giorgi
• Union of Georgian Traditionalists
• Georgian Uprising of Texel

External links

• Soviet Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht during WWII
• Essay on the 822nd Georgia Battalion of the German Army
• List of units and photogallery (Georgian)