During WWII Hitlers Germany was engaged in military co-operation with several different countries. Due to his racial doctrines Hitler placed a special emphasis on volunteer movements in Germanic and Nordic countries. In 1941 Finland contributed a volunteer SS battalion as collateral for its military co-operation with Germany. This study focuses on that Finnish SS battalion, which served on the Eastern Front in 1941-43.
One of the primary aims of the study is to compare the Finnish volunteer movement with other volunteer movements in areas controlled by or countries allied to Germany.