1st Mountain Division: German Elite Unit Turned War Criminals in WWII
Recently Added
•
13m
June 1941. As Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union, the war on the Eastern Front descends into extreme brutality. Among the advancing units is the 1st Mountain Division—an elite Wehrmacht formation known for its Edelweiss symbol.
But behind its reputation lies a darker story.
From Poland to the Caucasus, its soldiers witnessed and carried out violence that shaped their conduct. On the Eastern Front, prisoners were left to die, civilians were targeted, and atrocities became routine.
When transferred to the Balkans, this brutality escalated into systematic terror. Villages were burned, civilians executed, and entire communities destroyed in so-called “anti-partisan operations.” In places like Borovë, Mousiotitsa, Kommeno, and Lingiades, hundreds of civilians were massacred. On Kefalonia, thousands of surrendered Italian soldiers were executed.
By the end of the war, the 1st Mountain Division had become a symbol of brutality and mass murder. Many of its members would face death—either in combat or through post-war justice.
Up Next in Recently Added
-
Erwin Rösener: SS General Behind Brut...
April 1941. Nazi Germany invades Yugoslavia, crushing the country within days and dividing it among Axis powers. In occupied Slovenia, resistance grows—but every act of defiance is met with ruthless retaliation.
At the centre of this terror stands SS General Erwin Rösener, responsible for anti-p...
-
Grigory Shtern: Soviet War Hero Execu...
The 1930s, the Soviet Union. As Joseph Stalin tightens his grip on power, paranoia spreads through the ranks of the Communist Party and the Red Army. Suspected enemies are arrested, tortured, and executed in what becomes known as the Great Purge.
At the center of this campaign is the NKVD, the S...
-
Defendant Testimony of Nazi Doctor He...
Nuremberg Doctors' Trial - Nuremberg, Germany - 8 April 1947. In this courtroom footage, Nazi doctor Herta Oberheuser delivers defendant testimony during the Doctors’ Trial. Under oath, she answers questions regarding her role in medical experiments conducted on prisoners in Nazi concentration ca...
