Nazi Collaborators

Chaim Rumkowski, leader of the Lodz ghetto during WWII, believed cooperation with the Nazis could save lives, providing labor in exchange for food. This approach kept some semblance of community and culture alive amidst unimaginable horror.

Pierre Laval, once celebrated and later reviled, faced execution in 1945 for collaboration with the Nazis during Vichy France. Originally a socialist and pacifist, he fell into collaboration for power and to navigate the horrors of occupation.

Viktor Arajs, a Latvian, played a significant role in the Holocaust, collaborating with the Nazis to eliminate Jews. Leading the Arajs Kommando, he orchestrated the killings of around 30,000 Jews. Arajs justified his actions as patriotic defense.

Leon Degrelle, a charismatic Belgian leader, joined the Nazis and led Die Wallonien on the Eastern Front. Despite no military background, he earned the Knight's Cross for valor. He recruited 4000 more for the SS, defending Berlin until April 1945.

Croatia grapples with its fascist past through figures like Dinko Sakic, once hailed as a hero but later convicted of war crimes. Leading the notorious Jasenovac camp, Sakic oversaw brutal atrocities against inmates.

Vidkun Quisling, once honored for diplomacy, turned traitor by collaborating with Nazis. His bid for power in Norway failed, relegated by Germans. Despite being named "fuehrer," his reign led to repression until his hanging post-Nazi defeat.

During WWII, the IRA's "S Plan" aimed to bomb Britain, drawing German support to weaken the British. "Operation Green" and "Plan Kathleen" envisioned IRA aiding a German invasion of Northern Ireland, but both failed due to bungling and infighting.

The controversy surrounding Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, stems from his Nazi collaboration. He recruited Bosnian Muslims and advocated for a Palestinian homeland with Nazi help. His diaries reveal awareness of the Holocaust and anti-Semitic sentiments.

In Hitler's Germany, those with Jewish ancestry faced harsh Nuremberg Laws. Full Jews faced death; Mischlinge endured discrimination, job bans. Some, like Helmut Schmidt, unaware of heritage, found protectors like Milch in high places.

Anton Adriaan Mussert, initially resisted Hitler's anti-Semitism despite modeling his NSB party, even welcoming Jewish members. His failed attempt to kidnap Queen Wilhelmina led him into hiding, after which he collaborated in hopes of gaining power.

During WWII, Greek Prime Ministers Tsolakoglou, Logothetopoulos, and Rallis collaborated with Nazi occupiers, imposing fees that caused a famine.

Finland defended itself in the Winter War under Marshal Mannerheim. Finland allied with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union in 1941. Finland later negotiated peace with the Allies and switched sides as Nazi defeat became apparent.

In Ukraine and Lithuania, Nazi invaders were welcomed as liberators. In Lithuania, Antanas Gecas led a militia that executed hundreds of Jews. Ukrainian nationalists participated in pogroms slaughtering 34,000 Jews in two days.