Volkssturm
국민돌격대
A levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was set up by the Nazi Party on the orders of Adolf Hitler and established on 25 September 1944, conscripting males between the ages of 16 and 60 who were not already serving in some military unit.
In depth
It drew inspiration from the Prussian Landsturm of 1813–1815, and its official launch on 18 October 1944 was chosen to evoke the Battle of Leipzig. Though nominally under party control, its units were placed under army command in action: Martin Bormann, head of the Party Chancellery, oversaw administration and political indoctrination, while Heinrich Himmler as Replacement Army commander was responsible for equipment and training. Poorly armed and trained, only about 150,000 members saw serious military action, but losses were heavy at Kolberg, Breslau, Königsberg and in the Battle of Berlin, where about 60,000 men were formed into 92 battalions.