Ah you’re right, there were also conscripts in some Waffen-SS units. Looks like this guy volunteered though, as it says in the article:
A blog by an association of its veterans, called “Combatant News” in Ukrainian, includes an autobiographical entry by a Yaroslav Hunka that says he volunteered to join the division in 1943 and several photographs of him during the war. The captions say the pictures show Hunka during SS artillery training in Munich in December 1943 and in Neuhammer (now Świętoszów), Poland, the site of Himmler’s visit.
In posts to the blog dated 2011 and 2010, Hunka describes 1941 to 1943 as the happiest years of his life and compares the veterans of his unit, who were scattered across the world, to Jews.
I guess they couldn’t confirm that this is definitely that same Yaroslav Hunka, though that would be some coincidence. Not only did he volunteer, he loved it. And what even is that comparison? That doesn’t sound like a person who has learned anything.
Their values and goals didn’t necessarily align with those of the Nazis, other than they had a common enemy.
You call it “not necessarily aligned, other than”. I call it very much aligned. The difference in opinion can’t be that big or important if they’re willing to kill and die under Nazi orders.
The difference in opinion can’t be that big or important if they’re willing to kill and die under Nazi orders.
That’s a valid point. They also did commit war crimes, including dozens of massacres. I am certainly not trying to whitewash the Waffen-SS foreign units. They are to blame for what they did, including those of them that were coerced or conscripted.
I was talking from a historical perspective and trying to provide some needed context about those organizations and why it’s incorrect to equate membership in a Waffen-SS foreign legion with membership in the SS. Both organizations are guilty of war crimes and atrocities. With the Waffen-SS it’s less certain if each and every member is guilty and to which degree. I cannot say much about Yaroslav Hunka, whose name I have heard for the first time here. From what is in the article, he sounds guilty as fuck.
I have also updated my above comment to clarify this.
why it’s incorrect to equate membership in a Waffen-SS foreign legion with membership in the SS. Both organizations are guilty of war crimes and atrocities.
I’m still not clear on what the significant difference is.
With the Waffen-SS it’s less certain if each and every member is guilty and to which degree.
Couldn’t you say this about literally any group of mass murderers? Why does this not apply to the SS?
