The analysis of World War II and Hitler’s S.S reveals that the leaders of this organization were the framers of Hitler’s final resolution. This can be depicted from Hitler’s life his involvement in the army and his political intervention. Long time ago, in fact during the age of civilization, was born a man who would become a great leader and institute Nazi war.
In a small town of Braunau-am-Inn near Austro-Germany perimeter worked his father as an officer in customs department. On April 20, 1889, Adolf Hitler was born to Alois and Klara Hitler. The childhood life of the young Hitler Adolf was not so much pleasing. He had a dream of becoming a professional and career artist.
However, due to his poor performance in school, Hitler failed to secure an admission into Vienna Academy, which majored on Fine Arts and other artistry works. In addition to Hitler’s reigning problems, at 19 years of age, his father died of cancer, leaving him helpless with nobody to sponsor his education.
Therefore, Hitler had to search for survival tactics in order to save his mother and sister from hunger. As a mean to survive, Hitler decided to involve to in business and some commercial selling. For example, since he had an ambition of being an artist, he decided to do some paintings for sale and sometimes engage in day-to-day chores to get money for up keep. (Shirer pp.119-125).
The First World War broke out in Europe instigated by differences between Germany and France and their respective allies. Hitler decided to volunteer to offer services to the military troops at war. Onto his dismay, the army accepted to incorporate Hitler in the war as a soldier.
Indeed, this became Hitler’s best profession as he fought bravely making him to earn several promotions in the army ranks. To this far, Hitler grew his personality and started gaining fame and respect from hiss fellow colleague troops. For example, in the army, Hitler became a corporal and later, an administrator in the detention camp at Traunstein.
Due to Hitler’s increasing personality and influence, the authority appointed Hitler among other army officials to oversee and urge soldiers who were returning from war not to engage in dubious acts like pacifism or communism lest it destroy the nation and divide military. The exposure to persuasion theatrics on the contrary, increased his power to speak fluently and woe many to his side.
In addition to persuading his fellow troops not to welcome pacifism or communism, Hitler was responsible for spying those who went against the wishes of Germany authorities. Hitler could spy even political organizations to the government and provide counteracting political strategies. These and many other roles shaped Hitler to participate fully and even be a key figure in the Second World War. (Shirer pp.271-275).
As time went by, Hitler entered into Germany politics by forming a political party called Nazi under his leadership. This political party had several organizations falling under it. Moreover, this political party had its own strategies and policies like any other political party.
For example, one of the organizations under Nazi Party was that of Schutzstaffel- a military force for political and security reasons. The role of this organization was to influence people to support Nazi party using any means whether detention, massacre or use of excessive force. (Lumsdem pp.52-54).
On the other hand, Schutzstaffel ensured that other political parties did not outwit the fame and influence of Nazi Party. The SS continually forced Nazi ideologies and created new strategies for their political dispensation. In fact, history reveals that, SS was responsible for all atrocities and holocausts committed to civilians during Hitler’s administration. The Germany army together with Schutzstaffel participated in the Second World War though defeated.
Creation of Schutzstaffel
The Nazi Party created Schutzstaffel in 1925. The formulators of this organization- Nazi Party saw the need to protect their magnificent leader because of deterrent enemies and rivalry from within and outside Germany. In 1925, the chore of SS was to provide protection to Adolf Hitler from any attack.
The group composed of small members called paramilitary cluster. In order to execute the roles of this group, any chosen member had to be of Germany origin and show loyalty to the party. Besides, physical fitness mattered most during recruitment. Therefore, from recruitment stage, the vice of racism thrived evidently. Because the group was to fight Jewish majorities, members who were from Jewish ancestry never joined the group. This is because; the Nazi organization hated Jews. (Southgate Para. 1-9).
The SS cluster of men had special uniforms, which were black in color, and in addition, they wore hats with their motto inscribed on the forehead. Anybody who became part to this group had to swear allegiance to their leader, Hitler.
Hitler commanded these henchmen to carry out any activity best to his ability. Largely, these men were masterminds of evil forms from massacre to torture to rape. Some historians are quick to depict and call this group as physically and mentally challenged. However, these cluster of men had no psychological problems. The success of Hitler and his policies depended on the SS group.
For example, the ascension of Adolf Hitler to power was through a just and democratic manner. However, as Bulow indicates, in the middle of power reign, stood inclinations and accusations from other opposing groups (Para.1-7). History of SS dates back to 1925 when Hitler formed eight able men to guarantee him safety.
These men acted as formal bodyguards. However, as an expansion of the group, Hitler ordered all Nazi party offices to have at least ten men to offer security. By the end of 1926, Nazi party had two SS groups namely SS-Gaus and SS-Oblerleitung. Each of these groups had its own roles to perform. For example, Oblerleitung constituted a group that was responsible for offering security to leaders while the other cluster offered security to the offices of Nazi party. (Cook and Bender pp.18-20).
Adolf Hitler created the SS group as a strategy of attaining power. Many atrocities committed under Nazi regime resulted from a directive of their leader. The SS group for example, is responsible for the massacre, torture and ostracizing of the Jews during the Second World War. Over 9 million Jews underwent different forms of torture from this well trained gang under the direction of their leaders.
Duties of Hitler’s SS
The formation of SS group ensured security to Nazi leaders. However, Nazi seemed to create another independent state that offered security to a group of individuals. The presence of the Germany police was not part of the strategy of the Nazi group. This was a regime inside another regime but executing its policies. Unlike the Germany police, the SS group was an elitist group of people with uncompromised loyalty to their leader.
It comprised of men who were of Germany origin and no immigrant served in the SS militia. The motto of this group was to see their leader leading Germany especially to the Second World War now that Germany failed to show off in the First World War. Therefore, Nazi police officers or SS ensured security to all Nazi members and Nazi party offices. Hitler wanted to usurp powers and rule Germany. He therefore had strategies to come by.
Among his strategies included divide and rule. Therefore, the distribution of people all over Germany was a matter of great concern and a move towards attaining power. Hitler therefore demanded the arrangement of people according to their ethnicity, race and origin. The SS paramilitary identified people in terms of their ethnicity and ensured their settlement based on the enacted population policy. (Yerger pp.5-47).
Interestingly, other chore tasks of the SS included, the management of the Germany police in the manner they did their job. All police security and investigatory chores had to pass through SS offices before any further step. Moreover, the SS controlled detention camps where torture and murder took place.
Other duties done by SS include the implementation of modules and concise plans which meant to change the population of Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union also adversely affected as the plan included a structure meant to exhume the recentralization of the region.
SS recruitment continued up even up to 1929 when Hitler sought to appoint Heinrich Himmler to lead the group comprising of 280 members politically inclined to Hitler and identified as Germany nationals by birth and race. Himmler picked members to join the group with regard to attaining the vision of Hitler.
The vision and dreams of Hitler ware to attain a Third Reich. Since Hitler had smelt power, he spelt out two fundamental chores, which the SS was to perform. The first one was to offer an internal security to Nazi leaders and officials and the second, ensuring racial limpidness all over Germany. Furthermore, Himmler determined how marriages conducted especially those involving inter races.
For example, if a Germany and Portuguese nationals had sexual relationship, the SS will execute them immediately as a measure of guarding racial diversity. By the end of 1933, the SS group had grown into large numbers totaling around 50 000 members. Therefore, the need to have able leaders arose to control SS and ensure they execute the mandate of Nazi in full swing. (US Holocaust Museum Para. 5-10).
Just years before the start of the Second World War, the dispute between the government and the Jews diversified. The SS quickly assumed diplomatic responsibility but unluckily failed to join the two parties. Consequently, the SS drafted a policy on the Jewish Question. The draft demanded the execution of all European Jews who went contrary to Germany authorities by demanding ‘the unnecessary’.
On hearing this, the furious Jews entered war with SS. This led to the Germany Holocaust where the SS killed millions and millions of European Jews totaling to about 10 million. (US Holocaust Museum Para. 1-5). Other SS duties included offering tight security in political rallies and taxation of members who subscribed to their newspaper published by Nazi party. However, by this time Nazi Party was not yet in power.
Leaders
Hitler appointed Heinrich Himmler to be the leader of SS. Himmler was a loyalist to Nazi Party and fought to ensure protection of its Nazi officials and ensure implementation of its strategies. Any official whether from the party or government who went contrary to the party, received discipline from the group. SS comprised of two factions.
There was the belligerent unit called Waffen-SS and the second one was Allegemeine-SS. Under these two SS branches, there were further subdivisions responsible for racial matters, those charged with genocide and prison warders. Himmler introduced military training to the group including psychological torture aimed at killing without mercy on their part. (Browder, pp. 8-35).
During the Second World War, this group was the most feared all over Europe. They committed unspeakable atrocities maneuvering and gunning enemies ruthlessly. As time elapsed, the two groups increased to make three groups. Each group had its own function to perform, notably, each group had its own leader but under the leadership of Hitler as the Chief of General Staff.
As soon as Hitler assumed power, all SS members became part of the police and the state paid their wages. Himmler had the authority to appoint senior officials to lead various SS and police wings. For example, he named Heydrich to head the third wing of SS called Gestapo.
During the Second World War, Hitler had of course made his empire the most affluent economically and politically across Europe and abroad. Therefore, to defeat a nation like this, collaboration was to work well. Under the SS hierarchy, three branches led the movement. These branches under supreme, regular and higher leaders were responsible for any answer that Himmler demanded.
The End of SS
Both the security and the military sections were responsible for torture cases that occurred in Germany especially in the Second World War. When Hitler became the head of Germany Empire, he created powerful army commandos that provided security and destroyed the enemies of Nazi Party.
For example, the SS masterminded the war and invasion of Poland. The SS security wing created detention camps under the leadership of Theodor Eicke. Here, the SS tortured any detainee who refused to claim loyalty to Nazi party policies. However, the SS group could not last forever.
It had its own weaknesses no matter how loyal and racial enough they were to their leader and party. As the Second World War continued, Hitler became suspicious of the defeat, which Germany faced. The consequences befalling Hitler and his army commanders together with SS members faced dire consequences. Therefore, the first step Hitler and SS took included the burning and obliteration of the evidences in the camps.
Furthermore, since the surviving detainees acted as evidences against this murderous group, the SS killed all detainees. By the end of the Second World War, the SS men had committed numerous murder cases through execution, torture, rape and massacre-holocaust. As the new regime took control in 1945, the SS members faced justice for causing a Holocaust in Germany and the entire Europe.
Many SS members committed suicide because of guilty. Additionally, those who did not commit suicide had to face the full force within trial chambers in Nuremberg. The tribunal caught many SS soldiers guilty and sentenced these Nazi loyalists to death. On the other hand, those who escaped death sentence and suicide, decided to immigrate therefore, escaping to countries in southern America. (Goebbels pp. 175-235).
Conclusion
It is quite evident to note that Hitler and his SS faction group committed many atrocities in Germany. Hitler gained popularity through conceptual and inclusive political theatrics. No sooner had the authority made Hitler superior in the army rank than he was gaining popularity.
Hitler’s SS faction group masterminded the Second World War. These members purely represented Nazi party policies like racial segregation and loyalty to the Party. The leaders of SS made sure that any conspiracy from within the political divides did not arise. Though SS later disembarked, it had done many atrocities not to be mentionable to ordinary and sound psychological mind.
Works Cited
Browder, George. Hitler’s Enforcers: The Gestapo and the SS security in the Nazi Revolution Summary. Boston: University Press, 1996. Print.
Bulow, Louis. Masters of Death. The SS Men. 2008. Web.
Cook, Stan, Bender, James. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. (Volume One). San Jose: R. James Bender Publishing, 1994. Print.
Goebbels, Paul. Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. (Volume II).Washington: USGPO, 1946. Print.
Lumsden, Robin. A Collector’s Guide To: The Allgemeine – SS. London: Ian Publishing Company, 2001. Print.
Shirer, William. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Simon and Schuster. 1960. Print.
Southgate, Troy. Hitler the Demagogue. 2009. Web.
US Holocaust Museum. The SS. Web.
Yerger, Mark. Allgemeine-SS: The Commands, Units, and Leaders of the General SS. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1997. Print.