The Latvian Legion May 2026

: While officially named a "Volunteer Legion" to circumvent international laws against drafting occupied populations, roughly 80–85% of members were actually conscripted .

: The 15th Division was famously the most decorated non-German Waffen-SS unit. Elements of the Legion were among the last Axis forces to surrender, holding the "Courland Pocket" until the very end of the war in May 1945. The Latvian Legion: the Most Topical Research Problems The Latvian Legion

The was a national military formation within the German Waffen-SS, established in 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Latvia. Comprising primarily of the 15th and 19th Waffen Grenadier Divisions, it remains one of the most complex and debated legacies of World War II in the Baltic region. Historical Context: The "Devil's Pact" : While officially named a "Volunteer Legion" to