When the German troops reached the settlement areas of the Cossacks and various Caucasian tribes in the summer of 1942, these peoples, driven by their fervent desire for freedom, offered themselves to the German leadership to fight against Bolshevism. At that time, Colonel Helmut v. Pannwitz recognized the significance that the units of these tribes could have in the fight against Russia. Despite the absolute misunderstanding and distrust from the highest German leadership, he established the 1st Cossack Division from small beginnings. This highly engaging narrative vividly fills the context of the historical events and political conditions in the years 1944/45 in the Balkans.