The 1st Mountain Division fought in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 as a part of Army Group South and distinguished itself during fighting in the Carpathians and at Lwów.

[citation needed] The division fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov in May 1942 and then participated in the offensive through southern Russia and into the Caucasus (Operation Edelweiss).

In a symbolic propaganda move, the division sent a detachment to raise the German flag on Mount Elbrus on 21 August 1942.

Although the feat was widely publicized by Josef Goebbels, Hitler was furious over what he called "these crazy mountain climbers," his rage lasting for hours.

After Operation Rübezahl in Yugoslavia in August 1944, the division took part in defensive fighting against the Red Army in the Belgrade Offensive and suffered severe losses.

During the operation, the division commander, Generalleutnant Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen, was killed in action on 17 October 1944 on Avala, a mountain near Belgrade.

[citation needed] During the invasion of Poland in September 1939, soldiers from the division assisted in the round-up of Jewish civilians from Przemyśl for forced labour, and photos of this were printed in newspapers.

[3] During the Case Black operation in Yugoslavia in May–June 1943, the division and other units committed crimes against prisoners of war and civilians.