Changes

[[Image:Himmler.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Heinrich Himmler]]

[[Image:Himmler.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Heinrich Himmler]]

'''Heinrich Himmler''' (1900-1945), was a [[German]] [[Nazi Party]] leader, head of the Schutzstaffel (Protective squadron; [[SS]]) and of the dreaded [[Gestapo]] (Secret state police). Starting from a junior position in the SS, by 1942 he was the second most powerful Nazi and designed many of the [[National Socialist]] programs. His loyalty to [[Adolf Hitler]] (until near the end), combined with his organizational skills, ambition, and his sadistic nature, made him one of the most notorious [[war criminal]]s of [[World War II]]. As chief of police for all of [[Germany]], Himmler was responsible for establishing [[concentration camp]]s and death camps. Himmler oversaw the [[Holocaust]], the mass murder of 6 million [[Jew]]s, and his anti-Semitism was such that it arguably exceeded even that of Hitler's own anti-Semitic views. Aside from this, he was also infamous for the Lebensborn, a plan to abduct well over 12,000 children throughout Europe meeting the description of the "Master Race", and then place them by adoption with prospective families in order to help "breed" the superior race.<ref name="Stolen Nazis: The Tragic Tale">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1111170/Stolen-Nazis-The-tragic-tale-12-000-blue-eyed-blond-children-taken-SS-create-Aryan-super-race.html</ref> During the war he built up the military strength of his SS, which became a de facto fourth branch of the German [[military]]. After Hitler dismissed him from all his offices in April 1945, Himmler was captured at war's end by the [[British]] Army. However, he committed suicide before the Allies could put him on trial for war crimes at the [[Nuremberg Trials]].

'''Heinrich Himmler''' (1900-1945), was a [[German]] [[Nazi Party]] leader, head of the Schutzstaffel (Protective squadron; [[SS]]) and of the dreaded [[Gestapo]] (Secret state police). Starting from a junior position in the SS, by 1942 he was the second most powerful Nazi leader and designed many of the [[National Socialist]] programs. His loyalty to [[Adolf Hitler]] (until near the end in 1945), combined with his organizational skills, ambition, and his sadistic nature, made him one of the most notorious [[war criminal]]s of [[World War II]]. As chief of police for all of [[Germany]], Himmler was responsible for establishing [[concentration camp]]s and death camps. Himmler oversaw the [[Holocaust]], the mass murder of 6 million [[Jew]]s, and his anti-Semitism was such that it arguably exceeded even that of Hitler's own anti-Semitic views. Aside from this, he was also infamous for Lebensborn, a plan to abduct well over 12,000 children throughout Europe meeting the description of the "Master Race", and then place them by adoption with prospective families in order to help "breed" the superior race.<ref name="Stolen Nazis: The Tragic Tale">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1111170/Stolen-Nazis-The-tragic-tale-12-000-blue-eyed-blond-children-taken-SS-create-Aryan-super-race.html</ref> During the war he built up the military arm of his SS, which became a "de facto" fourth branch of the German [[military]]. After Hitler dismissed him from all his offices in April 1945, Himmler was captured by the [[British]] Army. However, he committed suicide before the Allies could put him on trial for war crimes at the [[Nuremberg Trials]].

==Background==

==Background==

Himmler was born near [[Munich]] on October 7, 1900. His father Gebhard Himmler was a teacher and his mother a [[Roman Catholic]]. Himmler was the middle child of the family. He had an older brother, Gebhard (born 1898) and a younger brother, Ernst (born 1905).

Himmler was born near [[Munich]] on October 7, 1900. His father Gebhard Himmler was a teacher and his mother a [[Roman Catholic]]. Himmler was the middle child of the family. He had an older brother, Gebhard (born 1898) and a younger brother, Ernst (born 1905).

A leading psycho[[historian]], UCLA Professor Peter Loewenberg, has attempted a retrospective psychoanalysis of Himmler's childhood and youth, using his diaries, shows him to have been systematic, rigid, controlled, and blocked of affect. His character structure was of the obsessive-compulsive schizoid type, meaning withdrawn emotionally from the external world and existing in a repressed internal psychic world. He used his diary to guard against feelings rather than to express them. The period 1919-22 was marked by acute identity diffusion. His sexual, social, vocational, and religious identities were in flux. The diary shows gender role confusion, a desire to emigrate from Germany, vacillation between animal husbandry and a bourgeois vocation, and strong conflict on the issue of dueling, which contravened his Roman Catholic faith. Himmler, as an adolescent, was a conventional rather than pathological anti-Semite. He acquired virulent [[anti-Semitism]] after 1919 because of his identification with nationalistic [[xenophobic]] paramilitary groups. He joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and the SS in 1925. Himmler became a professional bureaucrat par excellence. As Reichsführer-SS, he carried out the most sadistic orders without any show of feeling. Thus the flat, cold, emotionally colorless, adolescent Himmler became a writing desk murderer as an adult - a consistency that relates the child to the man.<ref>Peter J. Loewenberg, "The Unsuccessful Adolescence of Heinrich Himmler." ''American Historical Review'' 1971 76(3): 612-641. Issn: 0002-8762 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762(197106)76%3A3%3C612%3ATUAOHH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D Fulltext: in Jstor] and Werner T. Angress and Bradley F. Smith,  "Diaries of Heinrich Himmler's Early Years." ''Journal of Modern History'' 1959 31(3): 206-224. Issn: 0022-2801 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801(195909)31%3A3%3C206%3ADOHHEY%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 Fulltext: in Jstor ]</ref><ref name="Weale, 2010">Weale, (2010)</ref>

A leading psycho[[historian]], UCLA Professor Peter Loewenberg, has attempted a retrospective psychoanalysis of Himmler's childhood and youth, using his diaries, shows him to have been systematic, rigid, controlled, and blocked of affect. His character structure was of the obsessive-compulsive schizoid type, meaning withdrawn emotionally from the external world and existing in a repressed internal psychic world. He used his diary to guard against feelings rather than to express them. The period 1919-22 was marked by acute identity diffusion. His sexual, social, vocational, and religious identities were in flux. The diary shows gender role confusion, a desire to emigrate from Germany, vacillation between animal husbandry and a bourgeois vocation, and strong conflict on the issue of dueling, which contravened his Roman Catholic faith. Himmler, as an adolescent, was a conventional rather than pathological anti-Semite. He acquired virulent [[anti-Semitism]] after 1919 because of his identification with nationalistic [[xenophobic]] paramilitary groups. He joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and the SS in 1925. Himmler became a professional bureaucrat par excellence. Later as Reichsführer-SS, he carried out the most sadistic orders without any show of feeling. Thus the flat, cold, emotionally colorless, adolescent Himmler became a writing desk murderer as an adult - a consistency that relates the child to the man.<ref>Peter J. Loewenberg, "The Unsuccessful Adolescence of Heinrich Himmler." ''American Historical Review'' 1971 76(3): 612-641. Issn: 0002-8762 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762(197106)76%3A3%3C612%3ATUAOHH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D Fulltext: in Jstor] and Werner T. Angress and Bradley F. Smith,  "Diaries of Heinrich Himmler's Early Years." ''Journal of Modern History'' 1959 31(3): 206-224. Issn: 0022-2801 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801(195909)31%3A3%3C206%3ADOHHEY%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 Fulltext: in Jstor ]</ref><ref name="Weale, 2010">Weale, (2010)</ref>

He attended the Technical College in Munich and enlisted with the reserve battalion of the Eleventh Bavarian Infantry Regiment in late 1917. He served during [[World War I]] as a clerk and was disappointed he did not see any combat service before the war ended in November 1918. He joined the ranks of a nationalistic paramilitary group known as the Reichskriegsflagge (Imperial War Flag) in 1919. Its leader was future chief of the Nazi SA storm troopers, [[Ernst Röhm]]. This paramilitary group was closely affiliated with the [[Nazi Party]]. Himmler also joined the Nazi Party in August 1923. He took part in the [[Beer Hall Putsch]] of November 1923. After the failure of the Putsch to seize power, Himmler returned home after losing his job over taking part in the event. Soon after, he became a propaganda assistant in the Nazi Party, serving under Gregor Strasser in Bavaria. He then was promoted to being charge of the party office in the area. In 1925, Himmler joined the SS and by January 1929 he was appointed the fourth leader of the SS. He went on to become its longest and most influential leader. When he took over, it was made up of only 280 men and considered an elite bodyguard unit.<ref name="Weale, 2010; Gerwarth 2011">Weale, (2010); Gerwarth (2011)</ref> He also served as a Poultry Farmer after World War I but before World War II, which evidently led to his Lebensborne idea due to thinking he can breed the superior race of humans in a similar manner to the pure white chickens at his farm.<ref name="Stolen Nazis: The Tragic Tale" />

He attended the Technical College in Munich and enlisted with the reserve battalion of the Eleventh Bavarian Infantry Regiment in late 1917. He served during [[World War I]] as a clerk and was disappointed he did not see any combat service before the war ended in November 1918. He joined the ranks of a nationalistic paramilitary group known as the Reichskriegsflagge (Imperial War Flag) in 1919. Its leader was future chief of the Nazi SA storm troopers, [[Ernst Röhm]]. This paramilitary group was closely affiliated with the [[Nazi Party]]. Himmler also joined the Nazi Party in August 1923. He took part in the [[Beer Hall Putsch]] of November 1923. After the failure of the Putsch to seize power, Himmler returned home after losing his job over taking part in the event. Soon after, he became a propaganda assistant in the Nazi Party, serving under Gregor Strasser in Bavaria. He then was promoted to being charge of the party office in the area. In 1925, Himmler joined the SS and by January 1929 he was appointed the fourth leader of the SS. He went on to become its longest and most influential leader. When he took over, it was made up of only 280 men and considered an elite bodyguard unit.<ref name="Weale, 2010; Gerwarth 2011">Weale, (2010); Gerwarth (2011)</ref> He also served as a Poultry Farmer after World War I, but before World War II that evidently led to his Lebensborn idea due to thinking he can breed the superior race of humans in a similar manner to the pure white chickens at his farm.<ref name="Stolen Nazis: The Tragic Tale" />

==Nazi Germany==

==Nazi Germany==

===Chief of German police===

===Chief of German police===

When Hitler came to power in January 1933, Himmler controlled the "Schutzstaffel" ("Protection Squadron"; SS) which at the time was a 50,000-man sub-branch of the Nazi Party. In March Himmler became the Polizeipräsident in Munich. In April 1933 the political and intelligence sections of the Prussian police were combined into one unit and named the "Geheime Staatspolizei" (the [[Gestapo]]). It was under the control of then Prussian Ministry of Interior, [[Hermann Goering]]. During 1933-34, Himmler and his second in command, [[Reinhard Heydrich]] took over the political police departments in each German state until only Prussia was left. On April 20, 1934, Goering handed over the Gestapo to Himmler for use in the purge of the [[SA]]. Himmler appointed SD (Security Service) chief Heydrich, the director of the Gestapo.

When Hitler came to power in January 1933, Himmler controlled the "Schutzstaffel" (Protection Squadron; SS) which at the time was a 50,000-man sub-branch of the Nazi Party. In March Himmler became the Polizeipräsident in Munich. In April 1933 the political and intelligence sections of the Prussian police were combined into one unit and named the "Geheime Staatspolizei" (the [[Gestapo]]). It was under the control of then Prussian Ministry of Interior, [[Hermann Goering]]. During 1933-34, Himmler and his second in command, [[Reinhard Heydrich]] took over the political police departments in each German state until only Prussia was left. On April 20, 1934, Goering handed over the Gestapo to Himmler for use in the purge of the [[SA]]. Himmler appointed SD (Security Service) chief Heydrich, the director of the Gestapo.

At first Ernst Röhm's SA ("brownshirts"), with 2.9 million members, was a much larger and more powerful part of the Nazi Party than Himmler's SS.  That suddenly changed in June 1934 as a result of a power struggle between the SA, which had a more radical vision than Hitler would tolerate, and a coalition of Himmler, Goering, the army and big business who wanted the SA eliminated from power. The army feared the SA would absorb it into its ranks or become a people's army. Himmler and Heydrich prepared the list of Röhm's SA associates who were executed or imprisoned in the "[[Night of the Long Knives]]" which took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934. Hitler had Röhm killed, as well. As a result, Himmler and his SS gained enormously; the SS was now its own separate branch and Himmler reported only to Hitler.<ref name="Weale, 2010; Gerwarth 2011"/><ref>The SA lost most of its members and all of its power. Evans (2005), pp. 31-41; Kershaw (1998) 1: pp. 499-522</ref>

At first Ernst Röhm's SA ("brownshirts"), with 2.9 million members, was a much larger and more powerful part of the Nazi Party than Himmler's SS.  That suddenly changed in June 1934 as a result of a power struggle between the SA, which had a more radical vision than Hitler would tolerate, and a coalition of Himmler, Goering, the army and big business who wanted the SA eliminated from power. The army feared the SA would absorb it into its ranks or become a people's army. Himmler and Heydrich prepared the list of Röhm's SA associates who were executed or imprisoned in the "[[Night of the Long Knives]]" which took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934. Hitler had Röhm killed, as well. As a result, Himmler and his SS gained enormously; the SS was now its own separate branch and Himmler reported only to Hitler.<ref name="Weale, 2010; Gerwarth 2011"/><ref>The SA lost most of its members and all of its power. Evans (2005), pp. 31-41; Kershaw (1998) 1: pp. 499-522</ref>

===Holocaust===

===Holocaust===

On January 20, 1942, [[Reinhard Heydrich]], Himmler's second-in-command, chaired the [[Wannsee Conference]] to plan the systematic roundup and execution of all Jews the Nazis could reach. The Conference ensured inter-agency co-operation and set strategy and financing. Among Heydrich's directives, [[Adolf Eichmann]], chief of Gestapo sub-section IVB4, the SS's Jewish office, was charged with arranging deportation financing. Eichmann forced Jews into paying for their own deportation. In February 1942 Himmler and another aide Oswald Pohl reorganized SS administrative and economic offices to form the SS Wirtschaft-und Verwaltungshauptamt (Economic and Administrative Head Office, or WVHA). The office of Inspectorate of Concentration Camp became part of the WVHA, and Himmler promoted Pohl to Obergruppenfuhrer und General der Waffen-SS, making him the third highest-ranking officer in the SS. Eighteen weeks after Wannsee, a Czechoslovak commando team with British support assassinated Heydrich, advancing Pohl to the second slot under Himmler. Meanwhile, Himmler had special powers in Poland, where he feuded with the official supposedly in charge Hans Frank.<ref>Burleigh (2000), pp. 454, 646-51</ref>

On January 20, 1942, [[Reinhard Heydrich]], Himmler's second-in-command, chaired the [[Wannsee Conference]] to plan the systematic roundup and execution of all Jews the Nazis could reach. The Conference ensured inter-agency co-operation and set strategy and financing. Among Heydrich's directives, [[Adolf Eichmann]], chief of Gestapo sub-section IVB4, the SS's Jewish office, was charged with arranging deportation financing. Eichmann forced Jews into paying for their own deportation. In February 1942 Himmler and another aide Oswald Pohl reorganized SS administrative and economic offices to form the SS Wirtschaft-und Verwaltungshauptamt (Economic and Administrative Head Office, or WVHA). The office of Inspectorate of Concentration Camp became part of the WVHA, and Himmler promoted Pohl to Obergruppenfuhrer und General der Waffen-SS, making him the third highest-ranking officer in the SS. Eighteen weeks after Wannsee, a Czechoslovak commando team with British support assassinated Heydrich, advancing Pohl to the second slot under Himmler. Meanwhile, Himmler had special powers in Poland, where he feuded with the official supposedly in charge Hans Frank.<ref>Burleigh (2000), pp. 454, 646-51</ref>

===Waffen-SS in combat===

===Waffen-SS in combat===

Himmler had dreams of his own army, which were strenuously opposed by the regular army.  He managed to field three division of the '''Waffen-SS''' on the eastern front in 1941-42; their ferocity impressed Hitler and the SS was allowed to recruit volunteers from neutral and occupied countries.  The Wehrmacht, however, intensely disliked the SS troops, so Himmler had to use his negotiating skills directly with Hitler to remove his SS formations from army control. The compromise was that SS generals took orders from the army, and in turn commanded their own SS troops.<ref>Burleigh 438ff</ref> By the end of the war, Himmler's SS supplied 38 Waffen-SS divisions comprising volunteers from the [[Hitler Youth]] and from other countries across Europe; including conscripts from 1943, forward. 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>

Himmler had dreams of his own army, which were strenuously opposed by the regular army.  He managed to field three division of the '''Waffen-SS''' on the eastern front in 1941-42; their ferocity impressed Hitler and the SS was allowed to recruit volunteers from neutral and occupied countries.  The Wehrmacht, however, intensely disliked the SS troops, so Himmler had to use his negotiating skills directly with Hitler to remove his SS formations from army control. The compromise was that SS generals took operational orders from the army, and in turn commanded their own SS troops.<ref>Burleigh 438ff</ref> By the end of the war, Himmler's SS supplied 38 Waffen-SS divisions comprising volunteers from the [[Hitler Youth]] and from other countries across Europe; including conscripts from 1943, forward. 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. However, they were never any real threat to replace the army, given there much smaller percentage of size and the fact they never has independence of operational command. 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 July 1944, after the failed army plot against Hitler's life, Himmler reached the apex of his power. With the added position of Commander in Chief of the German Home Forces, he became on paper at least, the most powerful man in Germany, rivaling in many aspects the power of Hitler.<ref>Padfield (1990)</ref>

In July 1944, after the failed army plot against Hitler's life, Himmler reached the apex of his power. With the added position of Commander in Chief of the German Home Forces, he became on paper at least, the most powerful man in Germany, rivaling in many aspects the power of Hitler.<ref>Padfield (1990)</ref>