Changes

The SS was made up of several different branches. The main branch was the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) and under it was the SS security, intelligence and police services. These directly included the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service) or SD, [[Gestapo]] (Secret State Police), Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) or Kripo and the leadership over the uniformed police known as the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police) or Orpo. The second main SS branch was the Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head units) or (SS-TV) who made up the Concentration Camp staffs and guards. The third main SS branch was what became known as the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). This was the military branch of the SS.<ref>McNab (2009)</ref>

The SS was made up of several different branches. The main branch was the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) and under it was the SS security, intelligence and police services. These directly included the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service) or SD, [[Gestapo]] (Secret State Police), Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) or Kripo and the leadership over the uniformed police known as the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police) or Orpo. The second main SS branch was the Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head units) or (SS-TV) who made up the Concentration Camp staffs and guards. The third main SS branch was what became known as the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). This was the military branch of the SS.<ref>McNab (2009)</ref>

==Waffen SS==

==Waffen-SS==

The Waffen-SS (Armed SS) began as Hitler's private army. It started as the SS-Stabswache Berlin, a small bodyguard unit under Josef "Sepp" Dietrich. It was renamed the Sonderkommando Berlin until Himmler renamed it again as the Leibstandarte (Bodyguard Regiment) Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). In September 1934, Adolf Hitler authorized the formation of a [[military]] wing of the Nazi Party in the SS; it was called the SS-Verfügungstruppe (Special Use Troops) or SS-VT. There were strict recruitment standards; both physically and racially. By September 1939, there were three SS-VT regiments, along with the Leibstandarte. During the 1939 fighting in [[Poland]], it was reported that the SS-VT units fought bravely but recklessly. The SS-VT units also fought in combat during the invasions of the [[Netherlands|Low Countries]] (les Pays Bas) and [[France]] in 1940. The performance of the units was of marked improvement on the battlefield, however, off the battlefield several atrocities occurred.<ref>Cook and Bender (1994); McNab (2009)</ref>

The Waffen-SS (Armed SS) began as Hitler's private army. It started as the SS-Stabswache Berlin, a small bodyguard unit under Josef "Sepp" Dietrich. It was renamed the Sonderkommando Berlin until Himmler renamed it again as the Leibstandarte (Bodyguard Regiment) Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). In September 1934, Adolf Hitler authorized the formation of a [[military]] wing of the Nazi Party in the SS; it was called the SS-Verfügungstruppe (Special Use Troops) or SS-VT. There were strict recruitment standards; both physically and racially. By September 1939, there were three SS-VT regiments, along with the Leibstandarte. During the 1939 fighting in [[Poland]], it was reported that the SS-VT units fought bravely but recklessly. The SS-VT units also fought in combat during the invasions of the [[Netherlands|Low Countries]] (les Pays Bas) and [[France]] in 1940. The performance of the units was of marked improvement on the battlefield, however, off the battlefield several atrocities occurred.<ref>Cook and Bender (1994); McNab (2009)</ref>

In 1940, the military branch was renamed the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). The Leibstandarte Division (LSSAH) and SS-VT units already in service were folded into, and became part of, the Waffen-SS. That same year, Hitler allowed Himmler to greatly expand the forces and open the ranks to Germanic foreign recruits. Within 6 months this new SS branch had over 150,000 soldiers. After the invasion of the [[Soviet Union]] in June 1941, the Germans were fighting a two-front war. The Waffen-SS became the elite infantry force of the fronts and given separate control over their communications and reports to Hitler's headquarters. By June 1944, the SS had over 800,000 men in its ranks. However, the majority of those members were serving in the Waffen-SS, which numbered approximately 600,000, with the SS-Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head units) numbering only 24,000. However, at the [[Nuremberg Trials]], the entire Schutzstaffel organization was declared a criminal organization. The SS was also found to be the organization most responsible for the killing of millions of Jews and non-Jews in the Holocaust. Many high ranking SS officers were executed after being adjudicated guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.<ref>Stein (1984); McNab (2009)</ref>   

In 1940, the military branch was renamed the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). The Leibstandarte Division (LSSAH) and SS-VT units already in service were folded into, and became part of, the Waffen-SS. That same year, Hitler allowed Himmler to greatly expand the forces and open the ranks to Germanic foreign recruits. Within 6 months this new SS branch had over 150,000 soldiers. After the invasion of the [[Soviet Union]] in June 1941, the Germans were fighting a two-front war. The Waffen-SS became the elite infantry force of the fronts and given separate control over their communications and reports to Hitler's headquarters. By June 1944, the SS had over 800,000 men in its ranks. However, the majority of those members were serving in the Waffen-SS, which numbered approximately 600,000, with the SS-Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head units) numbering only 24,000. However, at the [[Nuremberg Trials]], the entire Schutzstaffel organization was declared a criminal organization. The SS was also found to be the organization most responsible for the killing of millions of Jews and non-Jews in the Holocaust. Many high ranking SS officers were executed after being adjudicated guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.<ref>Stein (1984); McNab (2009)</ref>   

===Soldiers in Waffen SS===

===Soldiers in Waffen-SS===

By the end of the war, the Waffen-SS had organized 38 divisions comprising about 800,000 soldiers; 25% were killed in battle. They were never integrated into the Wehrmacht, and grew to become a de facto fourth branch of the German military. They had a reputation for fanatical loyalty, bravery, brutality, mistreatment and killing of prisoners and civilians, and war crimes.<ref>Wegner (1990); McNab (2009)</ref> In December 1944 on the Western Front during the "Battle of the Bulge" elements of the Leibstandarte Division shot between 86 and 100 Americans prisoners near Malmedy.<ref>After the war, Colonel Joachim Peiper and 65 other Waffen-SS soldiers were tried, convicted and imprisoned for war crimes; two were hung. James J. Weingartner, ''Crossroads of Death: The Story of the Malmédy Massacre and Trial'' (1979)</ref>

By the end of the war, the Waffen-SS had organized 38 divisions comprising about 800,000 soldiers; 25% were killed in battle. They were never integrated into the Wehrmacht, and grew to become a de facto fourth branch of the German military. They had a reputation for fanatical loyalty, bravery, brutality, mistreatment and killing of prisoners and civilians, and war crimes.<ref>Wegner (1990); McNab (2009)</ref> In December 1944 on the Western Front during the "Battle of the Bulge" elements of the Leibstandarte Division shot between 86 and 100 Americans prisoners near Malmedy.<ref>After the war, Colonel Joachim Peiper and 65 other Waffen-SS soldiers were tried, convicted and imprisoned for war crimes; two were hung. James J. Weingartner, ''Crossroads of Death: The Story of the Malmédy Massacre and Trial'' (1979)</ref>

Huffman (2005) examines Waffen-SS soldiers and their experiences, actions, and importance during World War II. He explores the Waffen-SS in terms of ideology and indoctrination, everyday life and combat experiences, comradeship, battle front and home front influences, and connections between the " Frontgemeinschaft " (front community) and the " Volksgemeinschaft " (people's community). Huffman focuses on the Waffen-SS junior officers, NCOs, and enlisted men.  Waffen-SS soldiers experienced a "totality" of war as a concrete, lived, total experience, and thus the front experiences became normalized to a large extent. They were much better trained than regular army units, with dangerous simulated combat exercise; it was rigorous, realistic and often brutal.<ref>Koethe (1994)</ref> Strong comradeship among the troops was important, and helped account for their strong cohesiveness and fighting strength. The Volksgemeinschaft and Frontgemeinschaft and the strong attendant home front and battle front influences were not just words; there was a reality of overall solidarity, and the Volksgemeinschaft and Frontgemeinschaft served for millions of Germans as structures around which to cast their belief systems and actions. The German civilian populace was militarized during the war, and the German military formations, especially the Waffen-SS, were militarized even more so.<ref>Huffman (2005)</ref>

Huffman (2005) examines Waffen-SS soldiers and their experiences, actions, and importance during World War II. He explores the Waffen-SS in terms of ideology and indoctrination, everyday life and combat experiences, comradeship, battle front and home front influences, and connections between the " Frontgemeinschaft " (front community) and the " Volksgemeinschaft " (people's community). Huffman focuses on the Waffen-SS junior officers, NCOs, and enlisted men.  Waffen-SS soldiers experienced a "totality" of war as a concrete, lived, total experience, and thus the front experiences became normalized to a large extent. They were much better trained than regular army units, with dangerous simulated combat exercise; it was rigorous, realistic and often brutal.<ref>Koethe (1994)</ref> Strong comradeship among the troops was important, and helped account for their strong cohesiveness and fighting strength. The Volksgemeinschaft and Frontgemeinschaft and the strong attendant home front and battle front influences were not just words; there was a reality of overall solidarity, and the Volksgemeinschaft and Frontgemeinschaft served for millions of Germans as structures around which to cast their belief systems and actions. The German civilian populace was militarized during the war, and the German military formations, especially the Waffen-SS, were militarized even more so.<ref>Huffman (2005)</ref>

Ideology, indoctrination, and combat had significant influences on the mentalities and experiences, as well as the increased fanaticization and radicalization of the soldiers and their subsequent actions, which included a greater propensity to follow orders without question and commit war crimes. Ideology was absorbed and accepted by Waffen-SS soldiers far more readily because of the nature of [[World War II]] with all of its [[racism]] and savageness. Waffen-SS troops were the most radicalized and politicized troops in the German armed forces and the fanaticized military elite and political soldiers of Nazi Germany.<ref>Huffman (2005); Koethe (1994)</ref>

Ideology, indoctrination, and combat had significant influences on the mentalities and experiences, as well as the increased fanaticization and radicalization of the soldiers and their subsequent actions, which included a greater propensity to follow orders without question and commit war crimes. Ideology included using violence, brutality and terror as a weapon and solution to military/political problems. Ideology was absorbed and accepted by Waffen-SS soldiers far more readily because of the nature of [[World War II]], especially on the eastern front, with all of its [[racism]] and savageness. Waffen-SS troops were the most radicalized and politicized troops in the German armed forces; the fanaticized military elite and political soldiers of Nazi Germany.<ref>Huffman (2005); Koethe (1994); Stein (1984)</ref>

===International units===

===International units===