An Overview of the Role of the S.S in the Holocaust
Holocaust.
The S.S or Schutzstaffel had a major role during the time of the holocaust, they were held responsible to most of the Jews killed in concentration camps. The S.S were some of the most brutal soldiers of World War II. The S.S were known for their brutal treatment of Jews and Allied POW’s during World War II. Most think the S.S is one single group, but in reality, they were a complex organization with multiple groupings and a variety of jobs.
The SS had a very rich past starting from the beginning of their creation until their demise.During June 1925, Hitler formed his own bodyguard called the Schutzstaffel or the S.S. Hitler originally formed the SS to protect him a government gatherings. Four years later on January 20 1929, Hitler appoints Heinrich Himmler as the SS leader. Then realizing the S.S need an intelligence service Hitler created the Sicherheitsdienst-SD or security service during the summer of 1931, they were used to provide intelligence reports to the SS. During December of 1931, Hitler created the SS Race and Settlement Office to determine eligibility for acceptance into the S.S and to establish the “racial elite”. In 1934, Hitler put the S.D in charge of figuring out the “Jewish Question”. During the same year, Hitler announces the SS as an independent organization as a reward for killing Ernst Röhm and the top leaders of the SA during the purge. Then in the summer of 1934 Hitler announces all concentration camps under S.S control. Later on September 27, 1939 Hitler fusses the SD and Security Police into the RSHA, which later is in charge of implementing the holocaust. A little later in 1939 Hitler creates the feared Waffen-S.S, which means armed S.S. Then on one of the most important dates, June 22, 1941, Hitler invades the Soviet Union and uses the S.S to executed Soviet Prisoners. Four years later on May 20, 1945 their leader Heinrich Himmler is captured, then three days later commits suicide. The overall decline of the S.S doomed the Germany to lose the war. The S.S was a determining factor during World War II and the Holocaust, but they lost both battles.
The S.S treated prisoners with no respect and were some of the most ruthless men in the world. The German camps were not so bad until 1934 when Chief of SS Himmler secured SS control over every camp. After 1932 an S.S officer was put in charge of each camp in Germany and German-Occupied territory. Before 1938, concentration camps were full of political opponents with small groups of Gypsies, Jehovah witnesses and homosexuals. With German expansion occurring they started using prisoners for forced labor, as early as the 1930’s the S.S realized forced labor potential and used it. Many concentration camps were placed were they could process soils and stone. Once overwhelming amounts of Jewish prisoners started coming to concentration camps they turned into killing centers
There were many horrible war crimes against the Jews and many more people.
After we captured the beaches of Normandy, thirty-seven Canadian prisoners were captured by the 12th S.S Panzer division. They led the prisoners to a field and grouped them. After they were grouped they were shot by either Mp-38’s or Mp-40’s machinegun pistols. Two prisoners escaped, but were caught later and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. The Canadians called this the Normandy Massacre
A company of the Royal Norfolk Regiment surrendered to the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the SS “Totakopf”(Deaths Head) Fritz Knoechlein, the twenty-eight year old Regiment leader of that S.S group ordered the prisoners into groups. Once 98 of them were grouped, he machine-gunned them. Knowing that some prisoners would be shielded by there comrades he ordered his troops to fix bayonets and kill all that showed life signs. On the day of December 18, the day after the Malmedy massacre members of the S.S executed 130 Belgian civilians. They were charged for sheltering American soldiers, 67 men, 47 women, and 23 children were murdered for their actions. One of the most famous massacres of World War II occurred on December 17, 1994, it was called the Malmedy Massacre. S.S Major Joachim Peiper was approaching crossroads near Malmedy when he sited enemy soldiers. Know that they had no chance the American Soldiers surrendered, all one-hundred and twenty-nine of them. He led the captured soldiers to the edge of the woods, three of the GI’s tried to run but were killed. Two tanks came up to the edge of the woods and started shooting the prisoners with their machine guns, forty-three escaped. Peiper was sentenced to death at the end of the war for his actions that day.
2 Comments
I like it and think it is a good detailed short review! Not to in depth but enough to explain things to me
Good overview. Any detailed review would take at least book length. Most people think of the SS as exclusively male but it had its fair share of ruthless women especially in the concentration camps like Ravensbruck. Aufseherin, as women SS were called, were alleged to be on a par with their male counterparts when it came to cruelty. Irma Grese recruited at just 19 was a noted example. She was hung following the Nuremberg trials.