Volkssturm
Sign in to saveThe (, ) was a levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was set up by the Nazi Party on the orders of Adolf Hitler and established on 25 September 1944. It was staffed by conscripting males between the ages of 16 and 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit.
Key facts
- Military unit.unit_name
- Volkssturm
- Military unit.image
- Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-033-15, Vorbeimarsch des Volkssturms an Goebbels, Berlin.jpg
- Military unit.image_size
- 260px
- Military unit.caption
- Volkssturm marching. Most of the men marching are carrying Panzerfaust launchers; the man at the bottom carries an MG34, November 1944.
- Military unit.type
- Militia
- Military unit.command_structure
- Nazi Party
- Military unit.commander5
- Heinrich Himmler (Military training and equipment)Martin Bormann (Administration and indoctrination)
- Military unit.start_date
- 18 October 1944
- Military unit.disbanded
- 8 May 1945
via Wikipedia infobox
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Encyclopedic overview
16 sectionsContents
- Origins and organisation
- Ranks
- Training and impact
- Battle of Berlin
- Role in atrocities
- Final phase
- Postwar treatment and legacy
- Notable members
- In fiction
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
The (, ) was a levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was set up by the Nazi Party on the orders of Adolf Hitler and established on 25 September 1944. It was staffed by conscripting males between the ages of 16 and 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit.
The Volkssturm comprised one of the final components of the total war promulgated by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, part of a Nazi endeavor to overcome their enemies' military strength through force of will. Volkssturm units fought unsuccessful battles against Allied forces at the end of the war. On several occasions, its members participated in atrocities, accompanied by German civilians and the Hitler Youth, which were overseen by members of the SS or Gau leaders.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Volkssturm” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.