
The Impact of War Experiences in Europe
The Conscription of Non-German Men and Women into the 'Wehrmacht' and 'Reichsarbeitsdienst' (1938-1945)
De Gruyter Oldenbourg (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published in January 2025
Book
Hardback
VIII, 443 pages
978-3-11-108311-7 (ISBN)
Description
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.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Berlin/München/Boston
Germany
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student
Illustrations
33 farbige Abbildungen, 2 s/w Tabellen, 10 s/w Abbildungen
8 b/w and 30 col. ill., 3 b/w and 0 col. tbl.
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
760 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-11-108311-7 (9783111083117)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Nina Janz | Denis Scuto
The Impact of War Experiences in Europe
The Conscription of Non-German Men and Women into the 'Wehrmacht' and 'Reichsarbeitsdienst' (1938-1945)
E-Book
12/2024
1st Edition
De Gruyter Oldenbourg
€0.00
Available for download
Persons
Nina Janz
;
Denis Scuto;
Sarah Maya Vercruysse
, C2DH, University of Luxembourg.
Editor
ISNI: 0000 0005 2896 3228
ISNI: 0000 0001 1564 6769 GND: 17304509X
Author/originator
ISNI: 0000 0001 2295 9843