Shutzstaffel

Shutzstaffel (The S.S)

Lauren Friesen

The Schutzstaffel was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Under Heinrich Himmler's command, this organisation was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity commited in World War II, and was known to be one of the largest and most feared criminal organisations thus far.

 F﻿ormation The S.S was formed in 1925 as a personal protection guard for Hitler. Initially it was a smaller branch, but was later joined by the Sturmabteilung or "Stormtroopers", which was a secondary German military force after the night of the long knives. Under Himmler, the SS selected its members according to the Nazi ideology. Creating elite police and military units such as the //Waffen-SS//, Adolf Hitler used the SS to form an order of men claimed to be superior in racial purity and ability to other Germans and national groups, a model for the Nazi vision of a master race. In contrast to the Imperial military tradition, the nature of the SS was based on an ideology where commitment, effectiveness and political reliability, not class or education, would determine how far they succeeded in the organization. The SS also stressed total loyalty and obedience to orders unto death. It become a powerful tool used by Hitler and the Nazi state for political ends. The SS ideology and values of the organization was one of the main reasons why the SS was entrusted with the execution of many Nazi atrocities and war crimes of the Nazi state.

﻿Action

The S.S was known for their ruthless tactics, and violent means of enforcing obedience. Chosen to implement the Nazi "Final Solution" for the Jews and other groups deemed inferior (and/or enemies of the state), the SS was the lead branch in carrying out the killing, torture and enslavement of approximately twelve million people. Most victims were Jews or of Polish or other Slavic extraction. However, other racial/ethnic groups such as the Roma made up a significant number of victims, as well. Furthermore, the SS purge was extended to those viewed as threats to "race hygiene" or Nazi ideology—including the mentally or physically handicapped, homosexuals, or political dissidents. Members of labor organizations and those perceived to be affiliated with groups (religious, political, social and otherwise) that opposed the regime, or were seen to have views contradictory to the goals of the Nazi government, were rounded up in large numbers; these included clergy of all faiths, Jehovah's Witnesse, Freemasons, Communists, and Rotary Club members.

As the Nazi Party monopolized political power in Germany,key government functions such as law enforcement were absorbed by the SS, while many SS organizations became de facto government agencies. To maintain the political power and security of the Nazi Party (and later the nation), the SS established and ran the //SD// (//Security service//) and took over the administration of //Gestapo// (//Secret state police//), //Kripo// (criminal investigative police), and the //Orpo// (regular uniformed police). Moreover, legal jurisdiction over the SS and its members was taken away from the civilian courts and given to courts run by the SS itself. These actions effectively put the SS above the law.

﻿Fallout

Foreseeing Nazi defeat in the war, a significant number of SS personnel organized their escape to South American nations. These escapes are said to have been assisted by an organization known as ODESSA, an acronym of the German phrase //**O**rganisation **d**er **e**hemaligen **SS**-**A**ngehörigen//, which translates as the //Organization of Former Members of the SS//. Many others were captured and prosecuted by Allied authorities at the Nuremberg Trials for war crimes, and absconding SS criminals were the targets of police forces in various Allied nations, post-war West and East Germany, Austria and Israel.

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