The SS

What was the SS?

The SS, or Schutzstaffel, was created as Hitler's personal bodyguard. Its powers were expanded as Hitler created the Nazi dictatorship and it was responsible for key parts of the Nazi police state. Its members were known as the 'Blackshirts' because of their uniform.

When was the SS set up?

The SS was set up in 1925.

Who was the leader of the SS?

The original leader of the SS was Julius Schreck who was appointed in March 1925. However, the best-known leader of the SS is Heinrich Himmler, who was appointed in January 1929.

How many members did the SS have?

In 1925, there were 250 members of the SS. This figure increased to 240,000 men during the 1930s. The SS had grown to 1 million by 1944.

Who joined the SS?

Members of the SS had to fit 2 main criteria:

• ❖ They had to be examples of the perfect Aryan with blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and physically strong.
• ❖ They had to be totally loyal to Hitler because they were his own private army.

What was the role of the SS?

The SS had 6 roles:

• ❖ The SS was in charge of Germany's police force, including the Gestapo. It had the power to search people's property and send them straight to prison without trial.
• ❖ Death Heads - elite groups within the SS - ran the concentration camps and later the death camps.
• ❖ The Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS (SD), or Security Service of the Reichsführer-SS, looked after security.
• ❖ The Waffen-SS were an elite unit in the army. They were armed regiments that aimed to protect superiors in the SS division.
• ❖ It was in charge of racial policies.
• ❖ It investigated disloyalty to Hitler in the Nazi Party and the army.