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[[Image:THE_SS.jpg|right|250px]]
[[Image:THE_SS.jpg|right|250px]]
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>