The Patriotic Traitors

The Patriotic Traitors examines the complex phenomenon of European collaboration with Nazi Germany during World War II. The book focuses on six key occupied territories: Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and parts of the Soviet Union. David Littlejohn presents detailed accounts of individuals and organizations who chose to work with German occupying forces between 1940-45. His research tracks the political movements, military units, and administrative bodies that emerged in each country under Nazi control. The text chronicles the motivations and circumstances that led citizens to cooperate with occupation authorities, from ideological alignment to pragmatic survival. The analysis includes the formation of local SS units, political parties, and civilian administrative structures. This historical work raises fundamental questions about nationalism, loyalty, and survival under extreme circumstances. Its examination of collaboration challenges simple definitions of patriotism and treason during wartime occupation.

This book appears to have very limited reader reviews available online. Searching across major book platforms (Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing) turns up almost no consumer reviews or ratings. The book examines fascist collaborators in various European countries during WWII. Professional reviews from academic journals note its value as a historical reference, but public reader sentiment is difficult to gauge due to the scarcity of reviews. A few library catalog entries show it is referenced for research on WWII collaboration and fascist movements, suggesting it maintains some academic utility. However, the lack of broad reader feedback makes it impossible to reliably summarize what "most people" think of this book or compile meaningful review statistics. Note: Given the limited verifiable reader feedback available, this is an incomplete picture. Any claims about general reader reception would be speculation.

Collaborators by Peter Davies Chronicles the stories of Europeans who aided Nazi Germany during World War II through political and military cooperation.

Hitler's Traitors by Susan Ottaway Documents German citizens who opposed Hitler's regime and worked against it from within the Third Reich.

Treason in the Blood by Anthony Cave Brown Examines the lives of Kim Philby and his father St. John Philby as they betrayed their country through espionage.

Army of Evil by Adrian Weale Details the transformation of ordinary citizens into SS officers who served the Nazi regime through ideological conviction.

The Meaning of Treason by Rebecca West Investigates the motivations and actions of British citizens who supported Nazi Germany during World War II through case studies and personal accounts.

🔹 Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian collaborator discussed in the book, became so notorious that his surname entered multiple languages as a synonym for "traitor" - still used today. 🔹 The book was one of the first major works (published 1972) to take a scholarly approach to wartime collaboration, moving beyond the simple "traitor" narrative that dominated post-war discourse. 🔹 While approximately 200,000 Europeans served in German military units during WWII, many claiming to fight against Communism rather than for Nazism specifically. 🔹 Author David Littlejohn taught at the University of Aberdeen and spent over a decade researching collaborationist movements, gaining access to previously unexplored archives. 🔹 In occupied France alone, the number of people officially punished for collaboration after the war exceeded 300,000, demonstrating the widespread nature of the phenomenon explored in this book.