Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division

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{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division

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|country={{flag|Nazi Germany}}

|type=Infantry

|branch=Army

|dates=1 February 1944 - 8 May 1945

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|size=Division

|garrison=

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|colors=

|march=

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|battles=World War II

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}}

The Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division ({{Translation|Volunteer Depot Division}}) was a Wehrmacht infantry division during World War II. It was created on 1 February 1944 in Southern France. The Division was a so-called Ostlegion, which means its personnel was made up from volunteers from the Soviet Union. Specifically Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division consisted of Turkic, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Tartar, Cossack, Armenian, Iranian and other Soviet volunteers, spread over five regiments. The primary purpose of the division were anti-partisan operations against the French Resistance.{{sfnp|Thomas|2000|p=11}}{{sfnp|Lieb|2007|pp=61-62; 119, 310, 338}}

In 1944, the French Maquis started numerous uprisings in France. To defeat the French forces, units of the Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division were used in various operations. This included German operations against the maquis of Mont Mouchet, l'Ain and Haut-Jura and Vercors.{{sfnp|Lieb|2012|pp=17-19; 29}}{{sfnp|Lieb|2007|pp=61-62; 119, 310, 338}}

Part of these anti-Maquis operations also included {{ill|Operation Treffenfeld|fr|Opération Treffenfeld}}, in which units of the Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division participated. During the operation, the 5th Cossack Regiment of the division conducted the Dortan Massacre at the French town of Dortan on 13/14 July 1944. Twenty-four civilians were killed in what the German command described as "reprisal measures".{{sfnp|Lieb|2007|pp=579}} Days later on 21 July more civilians were executed, bringing the death toll to about 35 people. The village was then burned down and left to ruins.{{sfnp|Kedward|1993|p=280}}