The 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg was created in May 1944 as Nazi Germany searched for additional manpower in the Balkans. Recruited mainly from Kosovo Albanians and commanded largely by German officers, the formation was intended to strengthen German control of the region and support operations against the Yugoslav Partisans. Instead, it survived for only six months and became associated with persecution, violence against civilians and widespread indiscipline. This documentary examines the circumstances that led to the creation of the Skanderbeg Division, from the Italian occupation of Albania and the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia to Germany’s takeover of the region following Italy’s surrender in 1943. It explores how German authorities sought to exploit local political ambitions and ethnic tensions while recruiting men to serve the occupation. Within weeks of its formation, members of Skanderbeg participated in the arrest of 281 Jews in Pristina, most of whom were subsequently transported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The division was also implicated in crimes against Serb civilians, the destruction and looting of villages, and the events at Velika in July 1944, where at least 428 people lost their lives. Militarily, however, Skanderbeg proved increasingly unreliable. Desertions, poor discipline and defeats against experienced Partisan forces steadily reduced its strength. In September 1944, some soldiers mutinied against their German personnel, and on 1 November the division was formally dissolved. Drawing on historical accounts and survivor testimony, the film follows the division from its creation to its collapse and examines the later consequences faced by senior commanders, including August Schmidhuber and Alexander Löhr, who were tried in Yugoslavia after the war.
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