The Bosnian Muslim Waffen-SS Division: the SS-Handschar

The Bosnian Waffen-SS units, particularly the 13th SS Division “Handschar“ and the 23rd SS Division “Kama,“ played controversial roles during World War II. These divisions were formed largely from Muslim volunteers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they were part of Nazi Germany’s broader strategy to exploit local ethnic tensions and enlist non-Germans in their war efforts. SS Handschar was the first non-Germanic Waffen-SS division, established in 1943. Composed mainly of Bosnian Muslims, it was named after the “handžar,“ a traditional Turkish sword, symbolizing the division’s identity. Himmler, saw the Bosnian Muslims as natural allies against the Serbs (Chetniks) and communists (Partisans). They appealed to Islamic identity, portraying their fight as a defense of Islam against communism, which they equated with atheism. The division was involved in counterinsurgency operations against Yugoslav Partisans but was also implicated in atrocities against Serbs, Jews,