The Schutzstaffel

“The Schutzstaffel was the very essence of Nazism – the elite group of the Party, composed of the most thorough-going adherents of the Nazi cause, pledged to blind devotion to Nazi principles, and prepared to carry them out without any question and at any cost; including the deportation and Germanization of inhabitants of conquered territories, enslavement of foreign labor and illegal use of prisoners of war, concentration camps for the extermination of the Jews, and planning and waging aggressive war” (Pike). This group would change the face of Germany forever.

The SS was placed in charge of carrying out any deportation, extermination, and Germanization of any inhabitants in conquered territories. The German culture and customs would be forced upon these denizens. Children who were “racially acceptable” were taken from their families, transported to Germany, and were brought up as Germans. Any children who were not acceptable (an estimated 10,000), were sent to concentration camps, where they would face brutal treatment and harsh conditions. Most of these children were murdered, and only about 10 to 15% ever returned to their families after the war (Wikipedia).

Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsfuehrer, was the head of this entire operation. The close relationship between the SS, Gestapo and Criminal Police (Kripo), soon lead to another organization being formed, called the Reich Main Security Office, or RSHA. The Security Service of the Reichsfuehrer, or SD, originated as a part of the SS, and was a party organization, whereas the Gestapo was a state organization (Pike). The SD was principally in charge of information gathering, while the Gestapo was in charge of opposing the political and ideological enemies of the Nazi system.

Finally, the Waffen SS was the combat arm of the SS, and was created, trained, and finally utilized for the purposes of aggressive war (Pike). In the field, the Waffen SS was strategically under the command of the Wehrmacht; however, the Waffen SS was still a part of the Schutzstaffel just as much as any other branch of the organization. The SS was successful in acquiring control of the Reich Police, which was later renamed to Police Regiments.

In conclusion, the SS was very perspicaciously designed. This organization was intelligently devised by Hitler and Himmler, the two foremost leaders. The SS, RSHA, and SD were concisely planned, and there is great doubt as to whether any other army could have defeated the SS directly with all of its organizations and members.

Works Cited

Pike, John. “Protective Squadrons – Schutzstaffel.” Federation of American Scientists. 26 Nov. 97. Intelligence Resource Program. 24 Nov. 06

SchoolNet. “Schutzstaffel.” SchoolNet. 22 Jul. 05. Easynet Ltd. 24 Nov. 06

“Schutzstaffel.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Nov 2006, 21:24 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 24 Nov 06