Book
Open Access
The Impact of War Experiences in Europe
The Conscription of Non-German Men and Women into the ‘Wehrmacht’ and ‘Reichsarbeitsdienst’ (1938–1945)
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Edited by:
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Funded by:
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2025
About this book
Open Access
During World War II, over half a million men and women under Nazi occupation, who lacked German citizenship, were forcibly conscripted into the German Reichsarbeitsdienst and the Wehrmacht. The Nazis sought to legitimize this conscription by labeling these individuals as “deutsche Volkszugehörige” or “Deutschstämmige,” despite it being a clear violation of international law.
This collection explores the lives of these non-German conscripts, focusing on individuals from Slovenia, Poland (Silesia), Luxembourg, Belgium, and France. Each chapter adopts an actor-centered approach, examining their daily lives, social dynamics, recruitment, military deployment, and experiences in German uniform under coercion.
The authors cover cases of desertion and escapes to neutral countries, along with the repercussions for families, tracing the capture of conscripts as POWs and the complex processes of redeployment by the Allies against the Germans and the re-conscription by national governments. Through a rich collection of ego documents and personal records, this work vividly captures their complex realities, offering nuanced insights into the dynamics of occupation, coercion, and the shifting allegiances that defined wartime and post-war Europe.
This collection explores the lives of these non-German conscripts, focusing on individuals from Slovenia, Poland (Silesia), Luxembourg, Belgium, and France. Each chapter adopts an actor-centered approach, examining their daily lives, social dynamics, recruitment, military deployment, and experiences in German uniform under coercion.
The authors cover cases of desertion and escapes to neutral countries, along with the repercussions for families, tracing the capture of conscripts as POWs and the complex processes of redeployment by the Allies against the Germans and the re-conscription by national governments. Through a rich collection of ego documents and personal records, this work vividly captures their complex realities, offering nuanced insights into the dynamics of occupation, coercion, and the shifting allegiances that defined wartime and post-war Europe.
Author / Editor information
Nina Janz; Denis Scuto; Sarah Maya Vercruysse, C2DH, University of Luxembourg.
Topics
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Frontmatter
I -
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Acknowledgements
V -
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Contents
VII -
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Introduction – War Experiences of Conscripted Non-German Men and Women
1 - Part 1: Military Service – Citizenship, Conscription and Volunteering
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National Socialist Ethnicity and Citizenship Policy under Growing Military Pressure in Occupied Luxembourg (1940–1944)
27 -
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Fighting for the Enemy: Recruitment and Mobilisation of Slovenians for the Waffen-SS During the Second World War
61 - Part 2: Exploring War Experiences Through Ego Documents
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The War Experience of Non-German Soldiers in the Wehrmacht – The Luxembourg Case
85 -
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East Belgians in the Wehrmacht and the Reichsarbeitsdienst, 1940–1945. Biographical Turning Points and Adaptive Stances in the Beck-Peissen Family
127 -
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Slovenians Forcibly Conscripted into the Wehrmacht – Analysis of Diaries of their Wartime Experiences
165 -
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Ink and Paper in the Camp. Ego-Documents of Luxembourger Conscripts in Soviet Captivity
209 - Part 3: Desertion and Draft Evasion: Impact on Families and Communities
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“Desertion Leads to Resettlement” – The Consequences of Desertion and Draft Evasion on the Families of Luxembourgish Soldiers (1942–1945)
241 -
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Beihilfe zur Fahnenflucht in der Rechtsprechung der deutschen Sondergerichte in den besetzten Gebieten Polens (1939–1945)
279 -
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Alsatian Conscription Evaders in Switzerland
303 - Part 4: Prisoner of War Captivity and Re-Enlistment
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Conflicting Loyalties Among Soldiers Fighting Both in the German Army and the Allied Forces
329 -
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Malgré-Nous: Men from Alsace and Moselle held as POWs by the Western Allies During WWII
359 -
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From One Uniform Into Another: Luxembourgish Men Between Nazi “Forced Conscription” and Post-War Military Service (1942–1946)
395 -
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Afterword: War Experiences and the History of Narratives
427 -
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Authors
433 -
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Index
437
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
December 30, 2024
eBook ISBN:
9783111128467
Hardcover published on:
December 30, 2024
Hardcover ISBN:
9783111083117
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Front matter:
8
Main content:
443
Illustrations:
8
Coloured Illustrations:
30
Tables:
3
Coloured Tables:
0
Audience(s) for this book
Academics in the field of history, military history, social history and Luxembourg history
Creative Commons
BY-NC 4.0
Safety & product resources
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Manufacturer information:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Genthiner Straße 13
10785 Berlin
productsafety@degruyterbrill.com
