"Hitler's Jihadis: Muslim Volunteers of the SS " Topic

"As the West finds itself embroiled in conflict with radical Islam at home and abroad it is fascinating to hear the echoes of militant Islam from the Second World War, and the Nazis attempt to preach 'Jihad' against the British Empire and Stalin. Hitler's Jihadis tells the story of the tens of thousands of Muslims, from as far away as India who volunteered to wear the SS double lightning flashes and serve alongside their erstwhile conquerors. Jonathan Trigg gives insight into the pre-war politics that inspired these Islamic volunteers, who for the most part did not survive. Those who did survive the war and the bloody retribution that followed saw the reputation of the units in which they served in berated as militarily inept and castigated for atrocities against unarmed civilians. Using first hand accounts and official records Hitler's Jihadis peels away the propaganda to reveal the complexity that lies at the heart of the story of Hitler's most unlikely 'Aryans'"

"The author gives the background to the recruitment of Muslims into the Waffen SS. It may seem a strange mix given that racism underpinned Nazi ideology, but their racial theorists managed to justify it – just. In reality, as the war progressed it was more a case of needs must. For the Muslim volunteers it was also largely a question of 'my enemies enemy'. Trigg takes the reader through the history of a wide range of units. Some small and short lived, but others substantial with credible fighting records. Probably the best known is the Bosnian 13th SS Mountain Division 'Handschar'. Most of their recruits joined up simply as a means of defending their villages from the Ustase on one side and the Chetniks on the other. There is a more detailed history of this division written and lavishly illustrated by George Lepre. Few of these volunteers survived the war. Those who did, ended up being executed or sent to Stalin's gulags. This is not an edifying tale or one with a happy ending. However, its a valuable piece of research well told"

See here
link

Anyone has or have wargame with those units?

Amicalement
Armand

I've read it not bad book gets the old grey matter working thought provoking.

In West Africa (now Boko Haram Central) the imams then preached jihad against the Japanese, encouraging tens of thousands to enlist with the British Army's Nigeria Regt for service in Burma. In Burma itself, the muslim (and ethnically Indian/modern Bangladeshi) settlements of western Burma (along with the various hill tribes) invariably supported the British, while the Burmese (initially) supported the Japanese.

I saw a really interesting red fez with Nazi symbols on it at an antique store recently- that was the first I'd encountered about this sort of topic.

Interesting stuff.

Nazis, Ustase, Chetniks, SS, moslems, jihadists, etc., quite a rogues gallery …

Probably the best known is the Bosnian 13th SS Mountain Division 'Handschar

Yes, I've written these up for use in 28mm partisan-focused skirmish games (as bad guys, of course!). When using the Handschar both they and the partisans act as "fanatic foes" in the NUTS! rules. The old Bolt Action fellows actually produced conversion heads for these back in the day.

"…Few of these volunteers survived the war. Those who did, ended up being executed or sent to Stalin's gulags."

I doubt any of the Bosnian 13th SS ended up in Stalin's gulags at all, since the unit basically deserted in place in Kosovo, and didn't to my knowledge actually ever fight the Russians. The Serbs got their vengeance though, and they carried out ethnic cleansing and mass killings against the former members for a two year period at the end of the war.

In modern Bosnia after the fracturing of Yugoslavia the SS Handschar have been given a whitewash and a misty eyed mystique amongst the right wing fascists and certain elements in the government.
Fascism is rearing its ugly head in quite a few of these eastern Europeans states which surprisingly or not the West and NATO don't do much about.
I am thinking of converting a couple of my modern types to wearing fezes for either mercs or as part of ' a fantasy what if against Serb forces over a disputed demarcation or something. Just got t figure what qualitys they would have in a moderns game .
Cheers all.

Fascist – Communist, same slime different names.

Zargon, what the photon has NATO got to do with a nation's internal politics?

Thanks for the answers boys.

Amicalement
Armand

"I doubt any of the Bosnian 13th SS ended up in Stalin's gulags at all, since the unit basically deserted in place in Kosovo, and didn't to my knowledge actually ever fight the Russians. The Serbs got their vengeance though, and they carried out ethnic cleansing and mass killings against the former members for a two year period at the end of the war."

To a greater degree the unit did desert or were disarmed (about 70% of the Bosnian contingent) however there were still considerable numbers who deployed to the Danube and definitely fought the Red Army (also a fair few Bosnians who had been disarmed to serve as Hiwis were re-armed to fight at the end). At the begining of May the Germans released the Imams and Muslims from their oath and said they could return home (as they wished). Maschkes volume on the fate of german prisoners refers to the massacre of 1400 soldiers "among them a large potion" from 13th SS.

Also SHQ did a whole range of Fez wearing units including MG's, mortars and Infantry. I still have a battalion in the cupboard.