Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism

The Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism (, LVF) was a unit of the German Army during World War II consisting of collaborationist volunteers from France. Officially designated the 638th Infantry Regiment (Infanterieregiment 638), it was one of several foreign volunteer units formed in German-occupied Western Europe to participate in the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Created in July 1941, the LVF originated as an initiative by a coalition of far-right factions including Marcel Déat's National Popular Rally, Jacques Doriot's French Popular Party, Eugène Deloncle's Social Revolutionary Movement and Pierre Costantini's French League. In contrast to the conservative and authoritarian Vichy regime, which considered itself neutral, the LVF's founders explicitly supported Nazi ideology and collaboration with Nazi Germany. The LVF was tolerated by Vichy and received limited personal endorsement from its leading figures. Smaller than originally anticipated, the LVF was sent to the Eastern Front in October 1941. It performed poorly in combat during the Battle of Moscow in November and December 1941 and suffered heavy losses. Its constituent battalions were subsequently split up and only reconstituted into a single formation in September 1943. For most of its existence, it participated in so-called bandit-fighting operations (Bandenbekämpfung) behind the front line in German-occupied Byelorussia and Ukraine and participated in the violent repression of Soviet partisans and associated atrocities against the civilian population. Over the course of its existence, 5,800 men served in the unit, although its strength never exceeded 2,300. After the Allied landings in Normandy and Liberation of France, the LVF was disbanded in September 1944 and its remaining personnel incorporated into the Waffen-SS in the short-lived SS "Charlemagne" Waffen-Grenadier Brigade.