World War II and the Turkestan Legion: From Soviet Citizens to Turkestanis

• In Event: Migrants Negotiating Identity Beyond the Soviet Space: Central Asian and White Russian Experiences

Abstract

This paper examines the trajectory of Central Asian migrants—former Red Army soldiers who, after being captured or defecting to German forces, joined the Turkestan Legion to resist the Soviet Union and advocate for their homelands' independence. In collaboration with earlier Turkestani émigré leaders, these soldiers redefined themselves as “Turkestanis,” actively shaping Turkestani nationalism through publications, literary works, and the creation of national symbols such as anthems and flags. By the end of World War II, thousands of these deserters evaded forced Soviet repatriation and remained in Europe. Some joined the newly established Radio Liberty to broadcast to their homeland, while others migrated to countries such as Turkey and the United States, where they became active members of Turkestani Associations. This study situates their experiences within broader repatriation studies, which have traditionally focused on Slavic populations. It also examines how younger soldiers, shaped by Soviet influence, embraced a Turkestani identity with an anti-Soviet orientation. In doing so, this study challenges the conventional narrative that World War II solidified Soviet identity among non-Slavic populations. Instead, it reveals a contested process of identity formation among Central Asian migrants, tracing their transformation from Soviet subjects to Turkestani nationalists.

Author

• Zeynep Otluoglu Dursun, Binghamton U