The Bosnian Muslim Waffen SS Division: the SS Handschar

The Bosnian WaffenSS 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 nonGermans in their war efforts. SS Handschar was the first nonGermanic WaffenSS 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,