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Frikorps Danmark
Active 1941–43
Country Denmark
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Size 6,000–10,000
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Christian Peder Kryssing, Christian Frederik von Schalburg, Knud Børge Martinsen

Frikorps Danmark (Free Corps Denmark) was a Danish volunteer army corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists Christian Peder Kryssing ( July 7, 1891 – July 7, 1976) commonly known as C Christian Frederik von Schalburg ( 15 April 1906 – 2 June 1942) was a Danish officer and the second commander of Frikorps Danmark Knud Børge Martinsen ( November 30 1905 - June 25 1949) was a Danish officer and the third commander of Frikorps The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe This article is about a military unit For alternative meanings see Corps (disambiguation. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the Danish Nazi Party (DNSAP) newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation of the corps. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Danmarks Nationalsocialistiske Arbejderparti (National Socialist Workers’ Party of Denmark or DNSAP, was the largest Danish Nazi party before and during Its formation was subsequently sanctioned by the so-called Danish protectorate government which authorized officers of the Royal Danish Army to join the unit. [1]. The corps was disbanded in 1943.

During the course of the war, between 6,000 and 10,000 Danes joined the corps, including 77 officers of the Royal Danish Army.

Contents

Establishment

Denmark had signed a treaty of nonagression with Nazi Germany in 1939. [1] Germany invoked this treaty on April 9, 1940, when it ordered the military occupation of Denmark under the guise of protecting the Danes from British invasion. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Faced with potential German aerial bombing, King Christian X and the Danish government accepted "protection of the Reich" and permitted the "peaceful occupation" of the country in return for nominal political independence. Christian X (Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm ( 26 September 1870 &ndash 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark The Danes began a policy of collaboration that included diplomatic and economic support of Germany. Cecil von Renthe-Fink, a German diplomat, was accredited to the Danish King and Cabinet as Reichsbevollmächtigter ("Imperial Plenipotentiary") and charged with the duty of supervising Danish government. Cecil von Renthe-Fink (1885-1964 was a German Diplomat. He was plenipotentiary of Denmark from April 9 1940 until 1942 The word plenipotentiary (from the Latin, plenus + potens, full + power has two meanings

At the outset of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Germany asked Denmark to form a military corps to fight with the Germans against the Soviets. On June 29, 1941, seven days after the invasion had begun, the Danish Nazi Party newspaper Fædrelandet ("Fatherland") proclaimed the creation of the Frikorps Danmark ("Free Corps Denmark"). Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Danish Foreign Minister Erik Scavenius entered into an agreement with the Reichsbevollmächtigter that officers and soldiers of the Danish Royal Army wishing to join this corps would be given leave and allowed to retain their rank. Erik Julius Christian Scavenius ( July 13, 1877 – November 29, 1962) was the Danish foreign minister 1909–1910 1913–1920 The Danish Cabinet issued an announcement stating that "Lieut. Colonel Christian Peder Kryssing, Chief of the 5th Artillery Regiment, Holbæk, has with the consent of the Royal Danish Government assumed command over 'Frikorps Danmark'". Christian Peder Kryssing ( July 7, 1891 – July 7, 1976) commonly known as C

The role of the Danish government in forming the Frikorps Danmark is today disputed. Some authorities maintain that the Corps was unique among the legions of foreign volunteers fighting for Hitler in that it carried the official sanction of its home government. Others maintain that while the Danish government may have sanctioned formation of the Corps that it did not itself form the Corps. [2].

Recruitment

It is estimated that between 6,000 and 10,000 Danes served in the Frikorps Danmark during the course of the war. Unlike other formations of foreign volunteers that fought with the Germans such as Spain's Blue Division, the Frikorps Danmark was unique in that it had the sanction of its home government. The Blue Division (División Azul Blaue Division or 250 Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers

A 1998 study showed that the average recruit to Frikorps Danmark was a Nazi and/or a member of the German minority in Denmark and that recruitment was very broad socially. [3]. Bo Lidegaard notes: "The relationship between the population and the corps was freezing cold, and legionnaires on leave time and again came into fights with civilians meeting the corps' volunteers with massive contempt. " Lidegaard gives the following figures for 1941: 6,000 Danish citizens had signed up for German army duty and 1,500 of these belonged to the German minority in Denmark. [4]

Heinrich Himmler complained that the Danish government was not enthusiastic enough in raising volunteers for the corps. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS.

It should be noted, though, that a majority of the over 10,000 Danes that initially volunteered for active service were regarded as being not suitable for active service.

Service record

With about 1,000 recruits, the corps was sent to Langenhorn barracks near Hamburg for basic training in late July 1941. It was considered ready for action by September 15 and sent to Owinska in Poland. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Owińska is a village in Gmina Czerwonak, Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in western Poland, close to the Warta river

C.P. Kryssing was dismissed in February 1942 for insufficient ideological adherence to Nazism. Christian Peder Kryssing ( July 7, 1891 – July 7, 1976) commonly known as C He was transferred to the artillery where he actually ended his career as a general.

Christian Frederik von Schalburg — an aristocrat who was very anticommunist (and a hard core nazi) because he had been raised in Russia and had seen the aftermath of the Russian revolution in 1917 — replaced Kryssing as the leader of Frikorps Danmark. Christian Frederik von Schalburg ( 15 April 1906 – 2 June 1942) was a Danish officer and the second commander of Frikorps Danmark

On May 8, 1942, the corps was ordered to the front line. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The corps fought near Demyansk south of Lake Ilmen and Novgorod. Demyansk (Демя́нск is an Urban-type settlement in the southern part of Novgorod Oblast, Russia, administrative centre of Demyansky District Ilmen (Ильмень is a historically important Lake in the Novgorod Oblast of Russia, formerly a vital part of the Trade route from the Varangians Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod During the night of June 2, Schalburg was killed. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Hans Albert von Lettow-Vorbeck, his German replacement, was killed only a few days later. On July 11, 1942, Knud Børge Martinsen took command of the corps. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Knud Børge Martinsen ( November 30 1905 - June 25 1949) was a Danish officer and the third commander of Frikorps

From August to October, the corps returned to Denmark, and met much hostility from the civilian population. On November 13, 1942, the corps was deployed to Jelgava in Latvia. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jelgava (jælgava) is a Town in central Latvia about 41 km southwest of Riga with 66087 inhabitants (2006 Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Originally it was intended for anti-partisan activities, but was then moved up to the frontline. In December the corps engaged at Velikiye Luki in intense fighting. Velikiye Luki (Вели́кие Лу́ки name also romanized as Velikie Luki, is a city on the meandering Lovat River in the southern

In March, the corps was transferred to Grafenwöhr near Nuremberg in Germany. Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt (Waldnaab, in eastern Bavaria, Germany. Then on June 6, 1942, the corps was disbanded. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Many soldiers were transferred to "Regiment Dänemark" in "Division Nordland". Others joined groups such as the HIPO Corps or Schalburg Corps. The HIPO Corps ( danish: HIPO korps) was a Danish Auxiliary police corps established in 1944 by the German Gestapo The Schalburg Corps ( danish: Schalburgkorps) was a Danish volunteer army Corps and a branch of the Germanic-SS.

Commanders

References

In-line:
  1. ^ Bo Lidegaard (ed. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ) (2003): Dansk Udenrigspolitiks historie [The History of Danish Foreign Policy], vol. 4, p. 461
  2. ^ Lidegaard, pp. 462–3
  3. ^ Lidegaard, p. 463
  4. ^ Lidegaard, p. 464
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