Schutzstaffel, or security detachment - so in Nazi Germany in 1923-1945. were called SS soldiers, paramilitary forces. The main task of a combat unit at the initial stage of formation was the personal security of the leader, Adolf Hitler.

SS soldiers: the beginning of the story

It all started in March 1923, when A. Hitler’s personal security guard and driver, a watchmaker by profession, together with a stationery dealer, and part-time politician of Nazi Germany, Joseph Berchtold, created a headquarters guard in Munich. The main purpose of the newly formed combat formation was to protect the NSDAP Fuhrer Adolf Hitler from possible threats and provocations from other parties and other political formations.

After humble beginnings as a defense unit for the NSDAP leadership, the combat unit grew into the Waffen-SS, an armed defense squadron. The officers and men of the Waffen-SS constituted a formidable fighting force. The total number was more than 950 thousand people, in total 38 combat units were formed.

Beer Hall Putsch by A. Hitler and E. Ludendorff

"Bürgerbräukeller" is a beer hall in Munich at Rosenheimerstrasse 15. The area of ​​the drinking establishment could accommodate up to 1830 people. Since the Weimar Republic, thanks to its capacity, the Bürgerbräukeller has become the most popular venue for various events, including political ones.

So, on the night of November 8-9, 1923, an uprising took place in the hall of a drinking establishment, the purpose of which was to overthrow the current government of Germany. The first to speak was A. Hitler's comrade in political convictions, Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff, outlining the general goals and objectives of this gathering. The main organizer and ideological inspirer of the event was Adolf Hitler, the leader of the NSDAP, the young Nazi party. In his, he called for the ruthless destruction of all enemies of his National Socialist Party.

The SS soldiers, led at that time by the treasurer and close friend of the Fuhrer J. Berchtold, undertook to ensure the safety of the Beer Hall Putsch - this is how this political event went down in history. However, the German authorities reacted in time to this gathering of Nazis and took all measures to eliminate them. Adolf Hitler was convicted and imprisoned, and the NSDAP party was banned in Germany. Naturally, the need for the protective functions of the newly created militarized guards also disappeared. The SS soldiers (photo presented in the article), as a combat formation of the “Shock Detachment”, were disbanded.

The restless Fuhrer

Released from prison in April 1925, Adolf Hitler orders his fellow party member and bodyguard Yu. Schreck to form a personal guard. Preference was given to former fighters of the Shock Squad. Having gathered eight people, Yu. Shrek creates a defense team. By the end of 1925, the total strength of the combat formation was about a thousand people. From now on they were given the name “SS soldiers of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.”

Not everyone could join the SS NSDAP organization. Strict conditions were imposed on candidates for this “honorary” position:

• age from 25 to 35 years;
• living in the area for at least 5 years;
• the presence of two guarantors from among the party members;
• good health;
• discipline;
• sanity.

In addition, in order to become a party member and, accordingly, an SS soldier, the candidate had to confirm his belonging to the superior Aryan race. These were the official rules of the SS (Schutzstaffel).

Education and training

SS soldiers had to undergo appropriate combat training, which was carried out in several stages and lasted for three months. The main objectives of the intensive training of recruits were:

• excellent;
• knowledge of small arms and impeccable possession of them;
• political indoctrination.

The training in the art of war was so intense that only one out of three people could complete the entire distance. After the basic training course, recruits were sent to specialized schools, where they received additional education appropriate to the chosen branch of the military.

Further training in military wisdom in the army was based not only on the specialization of the branch of service, but also on mutual trust and respect between candidates for officer or soldier. This is how the Wehrmacht soldiers differed from the SS soldiers, where strict discipline and a strict policy of separation between officers and privates were at the forefront.

New chief of the combat unit

Adolf Hitler attached special importance to the newly created own troops, which were distinguished by their impeccable devotion and loyalty to their Fuhrer. The main dream of the leader of Nazi Germany was to create an elite formation capable of performing any tasks that the National Socialist Party set for them. This required a leader who could handle this task. So, in January 1929, on the recommendation of A. Hitler, Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, one of A. Hitler’s loyal assistants in the Third Reich, became Reichsführer SS. The personal personnel number of the new SS chief is 168.

The new boss began his work as the head of an elite division by tightening personnel policies. Having developed new requirements for personnel, G. Himmler cleared the ranks of the combat formation by half. The Reichsführer SS personally spent hours studying photographs of SS members and candidates, finding flaws in their “racial purity.” However, soon the number of SS soldiers and officers increased noticeably, increasing almost 10 times. The SS chief achieved such success in two years.

Thanks to this, the prestige of the SS troops increased significantly. It is G. Himmler who is credited with the authorship of the famous gesture, familiar to everyone from films about the Great Patriotic War - “Heil Hitler”, with the raising of the straightened right arm at an angle of 45º. In addition, thanks to the Reichsführer, the uniform of Wehrmacht soldiers (including the SS) was modernized, which lasted until the fall of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Fuhrer's order

The authority of the Schutzstaffel (SS) increased significantly thanks to the personal order of the Fuhrer. The published order stated that no one had the right to give orders to SS soldiers and officers except their immediate superiors. In addition, it was recommended that all SA units, the assault troops known as the “Brown Shirts,” assist in every possible way in staffing the SS Army, supplying the latter with their best soldiers.

Uniforms of the SS troops

From now on, the uniform of an SS soldier was noticeably different from the clothing of the assault troops (SA), the security service (SD) and other combined arms units of the Third Reich. A distinctive feature of the SS military uniform was:

• black jacket and black trousers;
• White shirt;
• black cap and black tie.

In addition, on the left sleeve of the jacket and/or shirt there was now a digital abbreviation indicating belonging to one or another standard of the SS troops. With the outbreak of hostilities in Europe in 1939, the uniform of SS soldiers began to change. Strict implementation of G. Himmler’s order on a single black and white uniform color, which distinguished the soldiers of A. Hitler’s personal army from the combined arms color of other Nazi formations, was somewhat relaxed.

The party factory for sewing military uniforms, due to its enormous workload, was not able to provide uniforms to all SS units. The military personnel were asked to alter the Schutzstaffel insignia from the Wehrmacht combined arms uniform.

Military ranks of the SS troops

As in any military unit, the SS Army had its own hierarchy in military ranks. Below is a comparative table of the equivalent military ranks of military personnel of the Soviet Army, Wehrmacht and SS troops.

The highest military rank in Adolf Hitler's elite army was Reichsführer SS, which until May 23, 1945, was held by Heinrich Himmler, equivalent to Marshal of the Soviet Union in the Red Army.

Awards and insignia in the SS

Soldiers and officers of the elite unit of the SS troops could be awarded orders, medals and other insignia, just like military personnel of other military formations of the army of Nazi Germany. There were only a small number of distinctive awards that were developed specifically for the “favorites” of the Fuhrer. These included medals for 4- and 8-year service in Adolf Hitler's elite unit, as well as a special cross with a swastika, which was awarded to SS men for 12 and 25 years of dedicated service to their Fuhrer.

Faithful sons of their Fuhrer

Recollection of an SS soldier: “Our guiding principles were duty, loyalty and honor. Defense of the Fatherland and a sense of camaraderie are the main qualities that we cultivated in ourselves. We were forced to kill everyone who was in front of the barrel of our weapons. A feeling of pity should not stop a soldier of great Germany, either in front of a woman begging for mercy, or in front of children's eyes. We were taught the motto: “Accept death and bear death.” Death should become commonplace. Each soldier understood that by sacrificing himself, he thereby helped great Germany in the fight against the common enemy, communism. We considered ourselves warriors behind Hitler’s elite.”

These words belong to one of the soldiers of the former Third Reich, private SS infantry unit Gustav Franke, who miraculously survived the Battle of Stalingrad and was captured by the Russians. Were these words of repentance or the simple youthful bravado of a twenty-year-old Nazi? Today it is difficult to judge this.

What is SS? Meaning and interpretation of the word ss, definition of the term

Ss- (German SS - abbreviated from Schutzstaffeln - security detachments), an organization of German fascists, one of the main pillars of the fascist regime. In 1925 it became isolated in the assault detachments (SA) as the “personal guard of the Fuhrer”, and since 1934 it has been an independent organization. From 1929 it was headed by G. Himmler. The “Dead Head” unit (for the protection of concentration camps and reprisals by prisoners), troops, and the SD security service (the main intelligence and counterintelligence agency). was the main conductor of mass terror in Germany and the occupied territories. The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg condemned it as a criminal organization.

Ss

(German SS - abbreviated from Schutzstaffeln - security detachments), an organization of German fascists, one of the main pillars of the fascist regime. In 1925 it became isolated in the assault detachments (SA) as the “personal guard of the Fuhrer”, and since 1934 it has been an independent organization. From 1929 it was headed by G. Himmler. The “Dead Head” unit (for the protection of concentration camps and reprisals by prisoners), troops, and the SD security service (the main intelligence and counterintelligence agency). was the main conductor of mass terror in Germany and the occupied territories. The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg condemned it as a criminal organization.

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What is "SS"? How to spell this word correctly. Concept and interpretation.

SS (German SS, abbreviated from Schutzstaffeln - security detachments) a privileged paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany. The embryo of the SS was the “Führer Escort” (later “Hitler Assault Group”), formed in May 1923 from members of the assault detachments (SA) loyal to A. Hitler. In November 1923, this group, along with the Nazi Party and the SA, was disbanded for participating in an attempted coup (Munich Putsch 1923). The SS itself, whose task initially included protecting the Fuhrer and fascist gatherings, was created in November 1925 and in 1926 was subordinated to the leadership of the newly legalized SA. In 1929, Hitler appointed the head of the SS (Reichsführer SS) G. Himmler, who was tasked with turning the SS into a “selected detachment” for the destruction of “traitors” within the SA and the Nazi party. The SS selected SA members who were fanatically loyal to the Fuhrer, who were “racially competent” (“Aryan origin” from the end of the 18th century) and physically strong people. The SS command staff had their own special ranks (Scharführer, Sturmführer, Sturmbannführer, etc.). The number of SS is from 280 people. (1929) increased by the time the Nazis came to power (January 1933) to 52 thousand people. Together with the SA, security detachments took part in the bloody pogroms of communist and other progressive organizations in Germany during the burning of the Reichstag (February 1933), etc. On the night of June 30, 1934, the SS, by order of Hitler, dealt with the opposition leaders of the SA, after which they became an independent organization, one one of the main pillars of the fascist regime and the main instrument of the terrorist, misanthropic policy of the Nazi Party. In 1934, from the general composition of the SS, “Totenkopf-Verbande” (Totenkopf-Verbande; by the beginning of 1945-30 thousand people) units were allocated to guard concentration camps and reprisal of their prisoners, as well as SS special forces units (SS-Verfungungstruppen), which in November 1939 were renamed the SS troops (Waffen SS). During World War II (1939-45), the number of SS troops increased from 4 regiments (18 thousand people) in 1939 to 38 divisions (about 950 thousand people) in December 1944. The SS troops were selected shock formations (in including 8 tank and 8 motorized divisions) of the ground forces of Nazi Germany, were distinguished by extreme fanaticism and exceptional cruelty in the rear and at the front. An integral part of the SS was the “security service” - SD (Sicherheitsdienst SS), created in 1931 by Himmler’s assistant R. Heydrich to spy on members of the SS and the Nazi Party, and then turned into the main intelligence and counterintelligence agency of Nazi Germany. As the SS developed, it merged with the state apparatus of Nazi Germany. In September 1939, the Main Reich Security Directorate (RSHA) was created within the SS system, to which the SD, Gestapo (political police) and criminal police were subordinate; in November 1939 the Gestapo and criminal police were included in the SS. In 1943, the Reichsführer SS, having become Minister of the Interior, concentrated in his hands all the power over the punitive terrorist apparatus in Germany and in the occupied territory, relying on the regional and district leaders of the SS in Germany and the senior leaders of the SS and police in the occupied territory. To carry out mass terror on the territory of the USSR, 4 “Einsatzgruppen” (A, B, C, D) consisting of 800-1200 people were created in May 1941. each, which carried out the mass extermination of Soviet citizens with the help of the Wehrmacht and SS troops. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the SS was outlawed, and by the verdict of the International Military Tribunal (See International Military Tribunal) in Nuremberg they were recognized as a criminal organization of German fascism.

SS, short for Schutzstaffeln - security detachments) - in 1925-45 German paramilitary detachments. fascists. There were basic as Hitler's personal guard; in 1933-45 they played the role of special forces. Before the Nazi seizure of power (1933), they were supported by funds allocated by the Germans. monopolies, in subsequent years they were on the general state. budget. The SS accepted specially selected persons who had distinguished themselves in carrying out terrorist activities. actions against the revolution. workers led by the KKE. Command posts in the SS were, as a rule, occupied by professional military men. Under the Nazi regime, the number of SS members reached 300 thousand people. (1939). Even before World War 2, special units were created. SS divisions are the striking force of Hitler's army. By the end of the war, the SS troops numbered approx. 580 thousand people (40 divisions). The most serious crimes of Nazism were associated with SS units; The SS men practically carried out the plans of Hitler and his clique, which included physical. destruction of entire nations. SS "Totenkopf" units provided security and supervision over Hitler's death camps. After the defeat of the Nazis. Germany Int. military the tribunal recognized the SS as a criminal organization (see Nuremberg trials). Contrary to the decision of this tribunal and the decisions of the Potsdam Conference of 1945, there are associations of SS men in Germany that enjoy the patronage of reactionary circles; former SS men receive high pensions from the state. Doc.: SS in action. Documents on SS crimes, trans. from German, M., 1968. Lit.: Nuremberg trial of the main German war criminals, vol. 1-7, M., 1957-61; Heyden K., History of German Fascism, trans. from German, M.-L., 1935; Trainin I.P., The mechanism of the German fascist dictatorship, Tashkent, 1942; Vintser O., 12 years of struggle against fascism and war, trans. from German, M., 1956.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

SS

Schutzstaffel), elite security units of the Nazi Party, created by order of Hitler as a stronghold of the Nazi totalitarian police state, the so-called. "Black Order".

In April 1925, Hitler instructed one of the former SA militants, Julius Schreck, to form a new personal guard. On September 21, 1925, Schreck issued a circular ordering all local NSDAP organizations to create SS units consisting of 10 people locally and 20 people in Berlin. The created small detachments were initially part of the SA and were subordinate (until 1934) to the SA chief of staff, Franz Pfeffer von Salomon. In November 1926, the post of Reichsführer SS was introduced and the first to take it was the commander of the Adolf Hitler Shock Detachment, Joseph Berchtold.

In an effort to raise and strengthen the prestige of the SS among members of the NSDAP, Hitler at the party congress in Weimar (1926) solemnly handed over to them the so-called. "Banner of Blood"

In the spring of 1927, Erhard Heiden became Reichsführer of the SS, but under him the development of the SS was rather sluggish, since the influence of the governing bodies of the SA was still strong. On January 6, 1929, Heinrich Himmler was appointed head of the SS. From that moment on, the SS personnel under the leadership of Himmler began to increase rapidly: in January 1929 it numbered 280 people, in December 1930 - 2727, in December 1931 - 14964, in June 1932 - 30 thousand, in May 1933 - 52 thousand. Growth in numbers The SS composition was accompanied by the expansion of the department code-named "IC" - the Security Service (SD), organized by Reinhard Heydrich.

The growth of SS personnel caused concern among SA leaders. Hitler resolved this issue: “No SA commander has the right to give orders to the SS.” A new organizational structure of the SS was introduced: the lowest cell was a squad (ball) - 8 people under the command of a Scharführer. Three squads made up a detachment (troupe), three squads - an assault (about 70-120 people) led by an Obersturmführer. Three "Sturm" made up the "Sturmbann" (250-600 people) led by the Sturmbannführer. Three or four "Sturmbanne" formed the "Standarte" (1000-3000 people) led by the Standartenführer. Several “standarten” made up an “abschnit”, close in number to a brigade. Several "abschnites" formed a "gruppe" (division) led by a Gruppenführer.

In accordance with Hitler's order of November 7, 1930, the SS was to become a tool for strengthening the unity of the NSDAP, subordinating the will and orders of the Fuhrer to all party levels and authorities. However, the split between the nationalist wing and supporters of the socialist part of the party program, led by Ernst Röhm, Gregor Strasser and his brother Otto Strasser, grew rapidly. On August 30, 1930, things came to a head between SA and SS militants.

In mid-March 1933, having received information from the head of the SS about preventing the assassination attempt on Hitler, the Fuhrer ordered Himmler to form a personal security unit for himself, which later received the name “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.” At the head of this detachment, numbering about 120 people, SS Gruppenführer Joseph (Sepp) Dietrich was placed. In addition, Himmler formed new SS units called Sonderkommando-SS in different provinces of the Third Reich, whose task was to protect the highest representatives of the Nazi government on the ground and fight opponents of the regime.

SS units were the main active force in the destruction of SA leaders and supporters of Ernst Röhm during the bloody events of the “Night of the Long Knives”, after which the SS completely became an independent element of the NSDAP.

On July 20, 1934, Hitler issued the following order: “Taking into account the outstanding services of the SS forces, especially during the events of June 30, 1934, I elevate the SS to the rank of an independent organization within the NSDAP. The Reichsführer SS, as well as the Chief of Staff of the SA [Victor Lutze] will henceforth be in direct subordination to the SA High Command." And Hitler himself became the supreme commander of the SA. The order of July 20, 1934 put Himmler on an equal footing with Viktor Lutze, and the SS services received complete independence from the SA organizations, of which they were still a division. Himmler now obeyed only Hitler. Himmler could now create and arm SS military units. The only armed unit that the SS had previously had was the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, which provided Hitler's personal security. After June 30, the widespread formation and development of marching and special units began, which soon turned into Hitler’s personal army, as well as the creation of the “Totenkopf” regiments, whose bloody tyranny in the concentration camps lasted eleven years.

Replenishment of the ranks of the SS came through special schools that appeared in 1933, where racially “full-fledged” boys and young men from the Hitler Youth aged 10 to 18 were selected. By 1943, there were 33 such schools for boys and four for girls in Germany. They functioned on the principle of a boarding school, students received uniforms, they were raised “physically, spiritually and morally in the spirit of National Socialism, serving the people and the national community.” In addition to instilling the Nazi worldview, students were required to master military knowledge, and each was required to receive a sports badge certifying good athletic training.

On the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 (November 9), 18-year-old SS candidates received their first uniforms (since 1935, wearing a dagger was introduced as part of the uniform). Then, on January 30, the anniversary of Hitler's rise to power, they were given temporary SS certificates. On April 20, Hitler's birthday, candidates received a permanent SS certificate and took the oath: “I swear to you, Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer and Chancellor of the German Reich, to be faithful and courageous. I swear to you and the commanders appointed by you to obey unquestioningly until my death. May it help God for me!" The oath ceremony took place at midnight under the light of thousands of burning torches.

By the end of 1938, the number of SS reached 238,159 people.

Between the ages of 25 and 30, a member of the SS had to start a family, and the newlyweds were required to undergo a medical examination by a doctor of the SS sanitary service and present documents certifying their “racial purity.” The church marriage was replaced by a developed ceremony with the participation of the commander of the local SS organization.

The ceremony of baptism of a newborn in the family of an SS man was a naming ceremony of the baby in front of a portrait of Adolf Hitler, his book “Mein Kampf” and a swastika sign. Presenting the SS as the successor of ancient German cults and traditions of medieval chivalry, Himmler tried to give them the appropriate attributes of the order. Silver rings with the image of a skull, awarded to officers after three years of service in command positions, served as props. The most distinguished ones received an honorary sword from the hands of the Reichsführer SS. The leaders of the SS turned to the traditions of the Crusader Order and the principles of “faith and obedience” they proclaimed. Every year, young SS cadres came to take the oath of office in Brunswick at the tomb of the Duke of Mecklenburg, where military school cadets were promoted to officers. In the vicinity of the city of Paderborn there were the ruins of the medieval castle of Wewelsburg, which became the residence of the SS leadership, where the SS elite periodically gathered in a large hall and held meditation sessions. In the dungeons of the castle there was a sanctuary of the order, a place of blood cult, where “baptism in blood” took place - a ritual that accompanied the acceptance of a new member.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CC(German SS, abbreviated from Schutzstaffeln - security detachments), a privileged paramilitary organization in the Nazis. Germany. The embryo of the CC was the “Führer Escort” (later “Assault Group Hitler”), formed in May 1923 from members of the assault troops (CA) loyal to A. Hitler. On Nov. In 1923, this group, along with the Nazi Party and the CA, was disbanded for participating in an attempt to state. coup (Munich putsch 1923). Actually, the CC, whose task initially included guarding the Fuhrer and Nazis. gatherings, created in Nov. 1925 and 1926 subordinated to the leadership of the newly legalized CA. In 1929, Hitler appointed the head of the CC (Reichsführer CC) G. Himmler, He was given the task of turning the CC into a “selected detachment” for the destruction of “traitors” within the CA and the Nazi Party. The CC selected CA members who were fanatically loyal to the Fuhrer, who were “racially competent” (“Aryan origin” from the late 18th century) and physically strong people. The CC command staff had their own special ranks (Scharführer, Sturmführer, Sturmbannführer, etc.). The number of CC is from 280 people. (1929) increased by the time the Nazis came to power (Jan. 1933) to 52 thousand people. Together with the CA, security detachments took part in bloody pogroms against communists. and other progressive organizations in Germany during the arson Reichstag(Feb. 1933), etc. On the night of June 30, 1934, CC, on Hitler’s orders, dealt with the opposition leaders of the CA, after which they became an independent organization, one of the main supports of the Nazis. regime and the main weapon of terrorism. misanthropic Nazi Party policies. In 1934, from the general composition of the CC, the “Dead Head” units (Totenkopf-Verbande; by the beginning of 1945 - 30 thousand people) were allocated to guard the concentration camps and reprisal of their prisoners, as well as special units. appointments CC (SS-Verfungungstruppen), which in November. 1939 renamed CC troops (Waffen SS). During World War II (1939-45), the number of CC troops increased from 4 regiments (18 thousand people) in 1939 to 38 divisions (approx. 950 thousand people) in December. 1944. The SS troops were selected shock formations (including 8 tanks, 8 motorized divisions) of the Nazi ground forces. Germany, were distinguished by extreme fanaticism and, above all, cruelty in the rear and at the front. An integral part of the CC was the “security service” - SD (Sicherheitsdienst SS), created in 1931. Himmler P. Heydrich to spy on members of the SS and the Nazi Party, and then turned into the main intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the Fasc. Germany.

As CC developed, they merged with the state. fascia device Germany. On Sept. 1939 The Main Imperial Security Directorate (PCXA) was created in the CC system, to which the SD, Gestapo (political police) and criminal police were subordinate; in Nov. 1939 Gestapo and criminal police were included in the SS. In 1943, the Reichsführer CC, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs. affairs, concentrated in his hands all the power over punitive terrorism. apparatus in Germany and in the occupied territory, relying on the regional and district leaders of the CC in the territory. Germany and the senior leaders of the CC and police in the occupied territory. To carry out mass terror in the territory. In May 1941, the USSR created 4 “Einsatzgruppen” (A, B 1 C, D) consisting of 800-1200 people. each of which carried out the mass extermination of owls. citizens with the help of the Wehrmacht and CC troops. After the defeat of the Nazis. Germany's CC were outlawed, and the verdict International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg are recognized as a criminal organization of German fascism.