Channel: Dark Docs

Category: Education

Tags: military historysswaffen sseducationdirlewangerhistory channelhistorymark felton productionsthe dirlewanger brigadeww2german ssoskar dirlewangerdark docsmilitarymark feltondirlewanger brigadedocumentary

Description: Mankind has looked to the most hopeless of people to carry out desperate and highly dangerous missions, while prisoners have been treated as disposable individuals that can undergo the riskiest of enterprises. The colonization of Latin America and Australia began with the most unwanted subjects from European societies sent to these unknown corners of the planet to fulfill their sentences. Likewise, armies have always used prisoners as soldiers, from Imperial France to the American Civil War. And during World War 2, the Nazis used the same strategy, weaponizing convicted criminals who were not expected to survive the war. However, there was possibly no unit more spine-chilling than what came to be the 36th Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, better known as the Dirlewanger Brigade. Initially formed in 1940 and tasked to contain the Polish resistance movement through counter-insurgency measures, the brigade would also prove helpful in anti-partisan actions across Eastern Europe during the German occupation. However, their original purpose would soon morph into a horror story… - As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -