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The Latvian Legion ((ラトビア語:Latviešu leģions)) was a formation of the Waffen-SS during World War II created in 1943, consisting primarily of ethnic Latvian soldiers.〔Gerhard P. Bassler, ''Alfred Valdmanis and the politics of survival'', 2000, p150〕〔Ieva Zake , ''American Latvians: Politics of a Refugee Community'', 2010, p92〕〔Andrew Ezergailis, ''Latvian Legion: heroes, Nazis, or victims? : a collection of documents from OSS war-crimes investigation files, 1945-1950'', 1997, p38〕〔Valdis O. Lumans, ''Latvia in World War II'', 2006, p286〕〔Mirdza Kate Baltais, ''The Latvian Legion in documents'', 1999, p14〕〔 The 15th Division was administratively subordinated to the VI SS Volunteer Corps, but operationally it was in reserve or at the disposal of the XXXXIII Army Corps, 16th Army, Army Group North. The 19th Division held out in the Courland Pocket until May 1945, the close of World War II, when it was among the last of Nazi Germany's forces to surrender. The legion consisted of two divisions of the Waffen-SS: *15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) *19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) == Creation == The Latvian Legion was created in January 1943 on the orders of Adolf Hitler following a request by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. The initial core of the force was populated by Latvian Schutzmannschaft auxiliary police battalions, which were formed several years earlier and had been previously engaged in battles in Eastern front and anti-partisan duties. Also some who had previously served in the notorious Arajs Kommando commando unit,〔John Hiden. The Slavonic and East European Review, Vol. 85, No. 2 (Apr., 2007), pp. 364-365)〕 responsible for atrocities committed against Jews, Roma, and civilians along Latvia's border with the Soviet Union were transferred to the Latvian Legion.〔Ruth Bettina Birn and Volker Riess. "Revising the Holocaust". ''The Historical Journal'', Vol. 40, No. 1 (Mar., 1997), pp. 195-215. Published by: Cambridge University Press. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3020959〕 One month after the unit was founded, German occupation authorities in Latvia started conscripting military age men. Draftees were given a choice between serving in the Waffen-SS Legions, serving as (German Wehrmacht) auxiliaries, or being sent to a slave labour camp in Germany. Those who tried to avoid one of those options were arrested and sent to concentration camps. As a result, only 15-20% of the soldiers serving in the legion were actual volunteers. Unlike in Lithuania, potential legionary recruits in Latvia did not organize an official boycott of conscription; some Latvians deserted however rather than serving the Nazi war effort.〔 With Nazi Germany losing the war, conscription was extended to larger and larger numbers of Latvians. The first conscription, in 1943, applied to all Latvian men born from 1919 to 1924. The subsequent conscriptions extended to Latvians born between 1906 and 1928. The division commanders and most of the staff were German SS officers. The individual combat regiments were typically commanded by Latvian officers. After the Red Army broke through German lines at Nevel along the 1st Baltic Front in November 1943, advancing on Latvia,〔Arthur Silgailis. ''Latvian Legion''. Bender, San Jose. 1986.〕 and after initially resisting the German order to do so,〔 the Latvian Self-Administration took over mobilization from the Germans on November 13. On July 1, 1944 the Latvian Legion had 87,550 men. Another 23,000 Latvians were serving as Wehrmacht "auxiliaries".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Latvian Legion」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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