The Second World War is a defining moment in European history, yet it is rarely understood from the perspective of the various Nazi collaborationists. This book shines a light on the tens of thousands of Europeans who took part in the imperial policies of the Third Reich, spurred on by the fear of losing an unrepeatable opportunity and inspired by the dazzling triumphs of Nazi Germany.

David Alegre Lorenz delves into the psychology of the collaborationists, their trajectories since the 1930s, their political strategies, their stormy relations with the Germans, and the significance of their decisions and their actions, including the creation of volunteer units for the war against the Soviet Union. Alegre Lorenz convincingly contends that, far from seeing themselves as mere pawns, the collaborationists believed that close and loyal cooperation with the occupiers would be the most effective way to promote their personal interests and political projects. The book considers how, stigmatized by their neighbors as traitors and persecuted by the resistance, these collaborators would end up signing a blood pact with the occupiers, contributing to the plundering of their countries and pushing their communities to the brink of civil war.

Drawing on material from France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Spain and Norway through an impressive combination of state-level history and specific case studies, this book banishes the myth that collaborationism with Nazi Germany was a minority group issue of limited importance in the trajectory of the conflict.