Turkestan Legion

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The Turkestan Legion (German: Turkistanische Legion) was the name of the military units composed of Turkic peoples who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Most of these troops were Red Army prisoners of war who formed a common cause with the Germans (cf. Turkic, Caucasian, and Crimean collaborationism with the Axis powers). Its establishment was assisted by Nuri Killigil, a Turkish theorist of Pan-Turkism. The first Turkestan Legion was mobilized in May 1942, originally consisting of only one battalion but expanded to 16 battalions and 16,000 soldiers by 1943. Under the Wehrmacht's command, these units were deployed exclusively on the Western Front in France and Italy, isolating them from contact with the Red Army. The battalions of the Turkestan Legion formed part of the 162nd Infantry Division and saw anti-partisan action in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia (especially modern-day Croatia) and Italy. A large portion of the Turkestan Legion was captured by Allied forces and repatriated...

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