The Latvian Legion (1943-1945)

The Latvian Legion was the largest Latvian military formation that served Nazi Germany from 1943 until the end of World War II. As the most decorated non-German Waffen-SS formation, it fought from the outskirts of Leningrad until the defensive lines of Berlin. However, it also has become a focal point of heated contemporary discussions between historians of Western Europe and the Russian Federation with accusations that the Latvian Legion engaged in war crimes and supported Nazi ideology. The author analyses the development of the Latvian nation, and what influence Russia and Germany have had on it; the creation of the Latvian Legion and what lingering effects it has on today's Latvia.