Hiwi (volunteer)
Hiwi ([ˈhiːviː]), the German abbreviation of the word Hilfswilliger or, in English, auxiliary volunteer, designated, during World War II, a member of different kinds of voluntary auxiliary forces made up of recruits indigenous to the territories of Eastern Europe occupied by Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler reluctantly agreed to allow recruitment of Soviet citizens in the Rear Areas during Operation Barbarossa. In a short period of time, many of them were moved to combat units.
| Auxiliary volunteer | |
|---|---|
| Hilfswilliger, Hiwi | |
Russia, January 1942, two former Soviet soldiers in the German Wehrmacht army, decorated with the General Assault Badge | |
| Active | 1941–1944 |
| Country | Occupied Soviet Union, Eastern Front (World War II), occupied Poland |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Wehrmacht Schutzstaffel |
| Type | Auxiliary forces |
| Size | 600,000 (in 1944) |
| Nickname(s) | Hiwi, Askari |
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