Monday, November 23, 2009

Michael Pridon Zulukidse

Born on October 8th 1894 in Tiflis, Georgia, Zulukidse join Czarist Army and served on the Rumanian front as a battalion commander during WWI. After captured by the Austrian-Hungarian troops, he decided to join Central Powers’ sponsored Georgian regiment to liberate Georgia from Russian rule. After some fighting for Central Powers and earned the Kaiser Wilhelm Order of Anna medal (3rd and 4th class) in his homeland, Zulukidse fought with White Russian forces against Bolsheviks who tried to conquer Caucasus. Defeated, Zulukidse flee to Turkey and then immigrated to France.

His anti-Bolshevik conviction made Zulukidse joined the Franco army during Spanish civil war and then French-Vichy army in Syria. When the Germans formed the LVF for anti-Communist French who wanted to fight Soviet Union, Zulukidse enlisted in the legion. However, he never went to Soviet Union with the legion because the Germans transferred him to Reich Ostministerium, which entrusted him to form a Caucasian formation camp guards from Soviet POW’s. After some anti-partisans and guarding mission, Zulukidse and his men were send to France. As an Waffen-Standartenführer der SS, Zulukidse later appointed as commanding-officer of Georgian contingent in Kaukasicher Waffen Verband der SS.

He died on November 12th 1960.

Copyright © Nino Oktorino, 2009

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