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Heinrich Himmler was the fourth leader of the SS, having obtained command in January 1929. He went on to become its longest and most influential leader. By the time he took over, it was made up of only 280 men. By 1933 Himmler had expanded its ranks to 52,000.  By 1945 it had over 1 million members and controlled much of the [[economy]] through use of slave labor from the concentration camps it administered.

Heinrich Himmler was the fourth leader of the SS, having obtained command in January 1929. He went on to become its longest and most influential leader. By the time he took over, it was made up of only 280 men. By 1933 Himmler had expanded its ranks to 52,000.  By 1945 it had over 1 million members and controlled much of the [[economy]] through use of slave labor from the concentration camps it administered.

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 included the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service) or SD, [[Gestapo]] (Secret State Police), Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) or Kripo and the leadership of 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) which made up the concentration camp and [[Holocaust#The death camps|death camp]] staffs and guards.<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 included the [[Sicherheitsdienst]] (Security Service) or SD, [[Gestapo]] (Secret State Police), Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) or Kripo and the leadership of 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) which made up the concentration camp and [[Holocaust#The death camps|death camp]] staffs and guards.<ref>McNab (2009)</ref>   

The SD worked hand-in-hand with the Gestapo, although they had some overlapping authority and operations. The SD would perform intelligence gathering, surveillance and spy on members of the other Nazi Party organizations, military officers and the public at large. After the SD gathered information, the Gestapo would then arrest the person or people in question; both real and perceived political enemies of the Nazi state. Pursuant to German law passed in 1936, the Gestapo was given the power to arrest, interrogate and imprison people without any judicial review by the courts. Many people ended up in concentration camps, under the brutal authority and control of the SS-TV. The third main SS branch was what became known as the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). This was the military branch of the SS.<ref>Wegner (1990); McNab (2009)</ref>

The SD worked hand-in-hand with the Gestapo, although they had some overlapping authority and operations. The SD would perform intelligence gathering, surveillance and spy on members of the other Nazi Party organizations, military officers and the public at large. After the SD gathered information, the Gestapo would then arrest the person or people in question; both real and perceived political enemies of the Nazi state. Pursuant to German law passed in 1936, the Gestapo was given the power to arrest, interrogate and imprison people without any judicial review by the courts. Many people ended up in concentration camps, under the brutal authority and control of the SS-TV. The third main SS branch was what became known as the Waffen-SS (Armed SS). This was the military branch of the SS.<ref>Wegner (1990); McNab (2009)</ref>