About half the SS (or at least the Waffen-SS) was non-German at the end of the war. The Estonian Waffen-SS were used by the US Army to guard Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg.
It’s amazing to me that the Waffen-SS had recruits from Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and France. I can understand why Baltic people would join the fight against the Soviets who had invaded them, why nationalists in the Balkans would ally themselves with the destroyers of Yugoslavia, and why Indians would want to sign up with the enemy of the hated British invaders. But the Danish, Norwegians, Dutch, Belgians, and French had been invaded and occupied by the Nazis. All of them except France had been attacked while neutral.
If they held fascist beliefs, that would explain it somewhat, but it seems hypocritical for a nationalist to welcome invaders with open arms. Fear of communism could have been another factor, but frankly that seems like preparing for a flood when your house is already on fire. Why be concerned about a possible Soviet invasion when the Nazis just blew up your neighbourhood?
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