The Rise of the Nazi Ss

By Dr. Clifton Wilcox

The Schutzstaffel or SS was the primary organization responsible for carrying out exterminations for the Nazi hierarchy. It was a key instrument of terror used by the Nazis and came to represent organized brutality within the Third Reich. The power structure of the SS, however, was established prior to the Second World War. The SS, with Heinrich Himmler as its leader, was a dominant organization within Nazi Germany by 1936.
There are many questions that surface in regard to the size and influence of the SS in 1934. How did Himmler and the SS emerge as the dominant force within the Third Reich? How was the SS able to develop into a central organization within the Nazi state? The key to answering these questions lies in the background and development of Himmler and the SS.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514435229

Dr. Clifton Wilcox

Dr. Clifton Wilcox is a professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior. He is the author of eight books and has served as a consultant for the federal government.

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Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Clifton Wilcox.

ISBN:      Softcover         978-1-5144-3523-6

                eBook             978-1-5144-3522-9

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Rev. date: 12/18/2015

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Contents

Authors Note

Chapter One

The Schutzstaffel

Chapter Two

The Rise Of The Ss

Chapter Three

The Implementation Of The Ss Racial Policy

Chapter Four

The Fall Of The Sa

Chapter Five

From The Rohm Putsch To Domestic Dominance

Conclusion

References

Books by Dr. Clifton Wilcox

Scapegoat: Targeted for Blame

Groupthink: An Impediment to Success

Bias: The Unconscious Deceiver

Envy: A Deeper Shade of Green

The Fall of the Kingdom of Northumbria

Witch-Hunt: The Assignment of Blame

Witch-Hunt: The Clash of Cultures

Road to War: The Quest for a New World Order

The Horrible Void Between the Trenches

AUTHORS NOTE

T he Schutzstaffel or SS was the primary organization responsible for carrying out exterminations for the Nazi hierarchy. It was a key instrument of terror used by the Nazis and came to represent organized brutality within the Third Reich. The power structure of the SS, however, was established prior to the Second World War. The SS, with Heinrich Himmler as its leader, was a dominant organization within Nazi Germany by 1936.

This book traces the development of the SS from 1925 to 1936. The primary focus is on the leadership and ideological principles of the SS. This includes the analysis of key figures such as Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich and Richard Walther Darré from both leadership and ideological perspectives as well as addressing the major transitional events of the SS and analyzes their effect on the organization and Nazi Germany.

CHAPTER ONE

The Schutzstaffel

H itler’s reign of power in Germany began January 30, 1933. This was to be the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in modern history. The Schutzstaffel or what is commonly referred to as the SS, was primarily established as a protection squadron and known throughout Nazi Germany as the Black Shirts. The SS was a central organization within the Third Reich’s power structure. This black order was established in 1925 and by 1936 dominated Nazi Germany domestically. To gain a true understanding of this nationalistic group, the SS must be analyzed from many different perspectives. The success of the SS cannot be found in one single individual, event or aberration. Its beginnings and growth must be looked at pluralistically. The leadership, ideology and outcome of specific, transitional events surrounding the SS resulted in the establishment of its fundamental elements and dominant position within Nazi Germany by 1936.

On November 14, 1945, the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials began in Germany. They were to be the definitive judgement of the crimes against humanity by the Nazis. In the midst of the trial, it was determined that the SS, along with its associated organizations such as the Sicherheitsdienst (SD—the security and intelligence organization within the SS) and Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo—State Secret Police), was a criminal organization.¹ The verdict placed on the SS was as follows:

The Tribunal declares to be criminal within the meaning of the Charter the group composed of those persons who had been officially accepted as members of the SS… , who became or remained members of the organization declared criminal by Article 6 of the Charter, or who were personally implicated as members of the organization in the commission of such crimes… .²

This statement clearly shows a broad conclusion in terms of SS responsibility for the crimes committed by the Third Reich.

Twenty-two of the Nazi Leaders were defendants at the Nuremberg Trials. Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the former head of the SD, was the SS representative at the trial. He was found guilty by the Tribunal on October 1, 1946 of crimes against humanity and other war crimes.³ His death sentence was carried out on October 16, 1946.⁴ There is little doubt of Kaltenbrunner’s guilt as a participant and an organizer of SS atrocities. He did not, however, become a major figure within the SS ranks until January 30, 1943 when he was appointed head of SS Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA—SS Reich Security Main Office).⁵ Two of the most important figures within the SS were not represented at the trial. Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich had met their fates by way of a cyanide tablet and a successful assassination.⁶ These two men, Himmler as the Reichsfuhrer SS and Heydrich as head of the SD, created the SS empire. The SS’s basic organizational structure was established by 1936.

The purpose here is to trace the foundation of the SS’s organizational leadership figures, fundamental ideology and its primary transitional events from 1925 to 1936. This period is particularly important because the SS’s core structure was created during this time frame. Its fundamental elements were maintained throughout the life of the Third Reich even though its responsibilities, size and influence continued to grow throughout the late 1930s and into the Second World War. By analyzing the segments of the SS and showing their connection to Hitler, a greater understanding of the SS’s organization and rise to power in Nazi Germany can be obtained.

CHAPTER TWO

The Rise of the SS

H einrich Himmler took control of the SS on January 6, 1929. Five years later the SS consisted of a vast, well-trained, disciplined group of men loyal to Himmler and their Fuhrer - Adolf Hitler. By 1934, Himmler had established the SS as the Third Reich’s pre-eminent political guard by strengthening his personal ties to Hitler and by expanding the SS’s responsibilities and organizational scope. There are many questions that surface in regard to the size and influence of the SS in 1934. How did Himmler and the SS emerge as the dominant force within the Third Reich? How was the SS able to develop into a central organization within the Nazi state? The key to answering these questions lies in the background and development of Himmler and the SS.

Heinrich Himmler was born on October 7, 1900. Gebhard Himmler, Heinrich’s father, was a professor and a tutor to Prince Heinrich of Bavaria.¹ Gebhard named his second son, Heinrich, after the Prince. Prince Heinrich also agreed to be Heinrich Himmler’s Godfather.² During his youth, Himmler was attentive to his studies but was never more than an average student. His father encouraged him to pursue his interests while maintaining self-discipline and respect for adults.³ Himmler was never very popular in school and had few friends throughout his childhood.⁴ This tended to bring him closer to his family with which he maintained a close relationship throughout his early adult life.⁵ His father, Gebhard, was a strict disciplinarian, overseeing his sons’ educational growth. Gebhard was also obsessed with class and status, wanting to maintain the social level he had created for his family. He even went as far as reviewing Heinrich’s class listing, making special note of the social status and occupation of the students’ fathers.⁶ Furthermore, Himmler’s daily activities were occasionally recorded in his sporadically kept diary. This diary, which was started in 1910, was monitored