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Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th grenadier Division 1943-1945

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The subject of the Galicia Division, and other divisions, which were organized by the Germans during WWII to fight the Russians and the Soviet Union, in Ukraine and other countries - Latvia, Lithuania or Croatia usually gets the International Communist and Jewish interpretaion and is always termed as Nazi collaboration. Seldom do we hear the point of view of those who were actually fighting in those divisions. So it is refreshing to hear Mr. Logusz tell us his story. Accusing those who had fought against the Soviet oppression of nazi collaboration has always been a favorite subject of the Soviets and virtually all of the Holocaust-crazed Jewish groups, with the unfortuate result that it has come to unfairly castigate Ukrainians, Latvians, Lithuanians or Croats as nothing less than nazis. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the International Communist movement, we are starting to hear the other side, and Mr. Logusz has done a great job in that respect. We realize that the main reason for the creation of such divisions was anti-Communism and not anti-semitism.

Another unbiased account of the history of the Ukrainian Division Galica. Although not without some historical mistakes these are realtively minor ones (M Melnyk's book, To Battle, corrects many of them). Even so, a useful antidote to the anti-Ukrainian mudslinging of those who want to portray Ukrainians who fought for freedom as an anti-semitic rabble. Those familiar with today's Ukraine will know that monuments to the Division have been set up in western Ukraine, and that Jews are returning to Ukraine (even from Israel!), secure in their civil liberties and human rights, contrary to all the usual allegations otherwise. While many more Ukrainians fought (or had to) in the ranks of the Red Army than in the Division or in the national underground (one excludes the largely non Ukrainian Soviet partisan forces, who were largely ineffective, unsupported by the population and ignored since independence) the fact remains that the Division's members fought for Ukraine's independence, not against it, and are remembered and honoured for that. No allegations of war criminality on the part of the Division have ever been brought forward. Buy this book.

The 14th SS division was one of the many foreign units in the SS. It was composed of Ukrainian enlisted personel, with a mixture of Ukrainian and German NCO's and officers. The Ukrainians were largely torn between the Germans and the Soviets, neither of whom they really supported. The UPA is another Ukrainian organization, which fought against both the Germans and Soviets. The 14th division was created fairly late in the war, and had 3 notable battles: some initial anti-partisan work, the battle of Brody, and the end of the war in Austria. Read the book to see how the conflicting loyalties of these foreign troops ultimately played out.

The book is written from a Ukrainian point of view, and offers insights on many rarely studied issues. One is the territorial aspirations that Poland had on the Ukraine. Another is the relations between the Ukrainian clergy and the almost aetheistic SS. Training, equipment, and disciplinary issues are discussed.

Special bonus game: Find the picture whose caption lists the wrong weapon type.

I have just ordered the book but I had the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks getting to know the author Michael Logusz. He and I serve together in the army reserves. During that time we spent a good about of time discussing many topics but we always came back to our favorite - military history. Major Loqusz is quite knowledgable about the Waffen SS' Galicia Division. He wrote the book in such a way that it would provide in-depth information for the history buff. It is easy-reading for everyone else who simply enjoy a good history book. I highly recommend this book for anyone's library.

In "Galicia Division: The Waffen-SS 14th grenadier Division 1943-1945", Michael O. Logusz tells us the story of young ukrainian patriots who were decided to avoid, again, a harsh soviet occupation of their homeland.

Raised in 1943, it is the second large waffen ss unit made of slavs (the first one was the Handschar). The reason why the german or nazis are allowing ukrainians in their ranks is that they are now fully aware that germany, with its manpower shortage, will not be able to stop the red army without the help of the so-called "slavic sub-humans" (as that ethnicity was considered to be in the nazi terminology). Ironically, it appears that in 1941, Himmler had already refused ukrainian volunteers in the waffen ss (see "the waffen ss" by George H. Stein)...

The division was named 'Galicia' in order to counter the still strong ukrainian nationalism, a thing that had always worried Himmler... It was in vain : the members of that division were mostly ukrainians and proud of it.

In spite of the extreme brutality of the german occupation in that country, it appears that nearly 100 000 young men were willing to serve in that unit against a menacing red army. In fact the fear of the soviet regime (which had already killed, by starvation, several millions of ukrainian peasants) was considered a bigger threat than a german oppression by many of the ukrainian nationalists... 14 000 were accepted and 250 of the most capable volunteers were sent in the ss officer academies...

Not fully trained, the division was sent in the eastern front, fighting in the desperate battles of summer 1944. Acording to serious testimonies, the Galicia division fought well but was nearly destroyed in the brody pocket. Only 3000 of its men managed to join the german lines... The others were killed, missing in action or simply choosed to join ukrainian clandestine organizations like the UPA.

It was decided to rebuild the division in slovakia with the remnants of brody (several thousands) and recruits from police formations who had previously performed anti-partisans duties. Thus some of its members fought later alongside the german waffen ss "death's head" division with bravery. Later, they were also engaged against the communist partisans in slovenia and helped to crush the slovakian uprising. They finally surrended to the western allies. Moreover, its members were lucky enough to avoid stalin's reprisals.

After the war, that unit was accused to have commited numerous atrocities against jews or other civilians... It now appears that these accusations were false because these crimes were committed before the creation of the division. Simply said, the ukrainian volunteers were frontline soldiers (with a clean combat record) and not concentration camp guards or members of german einsatzkommando/einsatzgruppen (who are the real responsible of these ugly things)... They were sincere patriots who fought for ukraine's freedom rather than the nazi regime and had to choose between two evils...

Tells about Eastern Europe and the Ukraine. The Divisions fought at odds of 8 to 1. Outstanding book. Well written.

I met Orest Logusz while on an army tour. We've spent a good amount of time discussing one of our favorite subjects - military history. I discovered his fondness and expertise for the subject and added to that his Ukrainian background - thus the production of the book. He told me the reason for the writing was to produce a book that was informational and easy to read. You will appreciate the time and research put into his book.

I read the Intro to this book and realized it was propaganda for the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. They we're not freedom loving soon to be democrats. The first volunteers we're young men from the villages and citys of 'Galicia.' There was also a large number of men who had worked in the Rear Security units that constituted the largest number of war crimes. They we're helpful Police Auxilarys who slaughtered Poles Jews and anyone associated with Stalin and communisim. Even if you judge the Divisions first members, pre-battle of Brody by the typical 'good old fashioned Jew-hating,' of the time; there still disreputable and wrong.

If your looking for some Ukrainian heros look at the immigrants who fought in U.S. Canadian and British forces.

Read Sol Litmans work, 'Pure Soldiers or Sinister Legion.' It will change your opinion.

See my review of Michael Melnyk's book about the Galician Division of the Waffen SS. They were just as guilty of crimes against humanity as any other SS unit - make no mistake about it.

It seems to me that there are too many people trying to clear the name of this division, just because none of its members were ever brought to trial doesn't mean that crimes against humanity weren't committed.

There are numerous accounts of the murder of innocent civilians carried out by the Galician Division - mainly as retribution for perceived collaboration with the Red Army. There were also many atrocities committed by the Red Army for perceived collaboration with the Nazis. As always, it's the innocent civilian that suffers most.

This Waffen SS Division behaved in the same manner as any other - some indeed may have been fighting for "the homeland" - but many others were merely brutal murderers and rapists, the type of thug that may today be found amongst the ranks of skinhead neo-nazi groups.

First of all, let the world know that 4.5 million Ukrainans fought in the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. Only a small number collaborated and those were mainly murderous nationalists from Western Ukraine which was only Soviet occupied in 1939 and suffered greatly under the Poles. The author makes it look like majority of Ukrainians collaborated which is false. The author's anti-Russian attitudes are obvious as he constantly refers to 'Soviet Russia', not Soviet Union or just Russia. Still a good book for overall information on the division whose volunteers betrayed their country.