The Leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler
During the Holocaust, the Schutzstaffel Troops (SS) committed several mass murders on the Jewish population. The SS soldiers of the Schutzstaffel organization were ordered to do such horrors by the founding leaders of the organization, most notably Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was born in Munich, Germany on October 7, 1900. By January 6, 1929, Himmler was appointed by Hitler to be the head of the Schutzstaffel. During his time as the head of the SS, Himmler was "responsible for conceiving and overseeing implementation of the so-called Final Solution, the Nazi plan to murder the Jews of Europe" (Heinrich Himmler).
If it were not for Himmler, the Schutzstaffel would not turn out to be what it was back in the Holocaust. Himmler used the Schutzstaffel as way to enforce his beliefs regarding the security of his German nation. Himmler believed that they had "a fourth front: inside Germany[, where they must exterminate the Jews and Free Masons because the] Jewish-free mason influence [would] eventually be hostile to Germany and create a danger for [them]" (Himmler 97-99). As a result of his beliefs, Himmler ordered SS troops to exterminate masses of Jewish people, which therefore came to give the SS troops their reputation as the cruel oppressors that had abused and killed thousands of Jews.
During the Holocaust, the Schutzstaffel Troops (SS) committed several mass murders on the Jewish population. The SS soldiers of the Schutzstaffel organization were ordered to do such horrors by the founding leaders of the organization, most notably Heinrich Himmler. Himmler was born in Munich, Germany on October 7, 1900. By January 6, 1929, Himmler was appointed by Hitler to be the head of the Schutzstaffel. During his time as the head of the SS, Himmler was "responsible for conceiving and overseeing implementation of the so-called Final Solution, the Nazi plan to murder the Jews of Europe" (Heinrich Himmler).
If it were not for Himmler, the Schutzstaffel would not turn out to be what it was back in the Holocaust. Himmler used the Schutzstaffel as way to enforce his beliefs regarding the security of his German nation. Himmler believed that they had "a fourth front: inside Germany[, where they must exterminate the Jews and Free Masons because the] Jewish-free mason influence [would] eventually be hostile to Germany and create a danger for [them]" (Himmler 97-99). As a result of his beliefs, Himmler ordered SS troops to exterminate masses of Jewish people, which therefore came to give the SS troops their reputation as the cruel oppressors that had abused and killed thousands of Jews.
The Schutzstaffel's Mission
When the Schutzstaffel organization was first established in Germany with Himmler as the leader of the organization, the organization aimed to secure "internal security and guardianship over racial purity" in Germany (Heinrich Himmler). According to Himmler in a speech in 1943, in order to maintain this internal security and racial purity in Germany, the SS must "be honest, decent, loyal, and comradely to members of [their] own blood and to nobody else" (559; vol. IV). Himmler believed that as the SS continue the Final Solution to eradicate the Jewish population, the SS must not become sympathetic for the Jews, and instead view this mass murder of Jews as beneficial to the German race.
Himmler's values appeared to successfully carry on to his troops. The SS troops expressed the same values as Himmler, in which they believed that they must "take the Jewish Question towards its final solution . . . [,where they would initiate the] total elimination, [and] complete separation . . . [of the Jewish people, since they were considered] a race stamped with the mark of murderers and criminals" (Das Schwarze Korps). Alike Himmler, the SS troops viewed the Jewish people as an evil race that must be exterminated. Thus, the SS troop's reputation as the brutal killers of the Jewish population was further reinforced by the general fact that most SS troops abhorred the Jews.
When the Schutzstaffel organization was first established in Germany with Himmler as the leader of the organization, the organization aimed to secure "internal security and guardianship over racial purity" in Germany (Heinrich Himmler). According to Himmler in a speech in 1943, in order to maintain this internal security and racial purity in Germany, the SS must "be honest, decent, loyal, and comradely to members of [their] own blood and to nobody else" (559; vol. IV). Himmler believed that as the SS continue the Final Solution to eradicate the Jewish population, the SS must not become sympathetic for the Jews, and instead view this mass murder of Jews as beneficial to the German race.
Himmler's values appeared to successfully carry on to his troops. The SS troops expressed the same values as Himmler, in which they believed that they must "take the Jewish Question towards its final solution . . . [,where they would initiate the] total elimination, [and] complete separation . . . [of the Jewish people, since they were considered] a race stamped with the mark of murderers and criminals" (Das Schwarze Korps). Alike Himmler, the SS troops viewed the Jewish people as an evil race that must be exterminated. Thus, the SS troop's reputation as the brutal killers of the Jewish population was further reinforced by the general fact that most SS troops abhorred the Jews.
The Final Solution
In the Final Solution, SS troops killed millions of Jewish people by the orders of leading generals like Heydrich. Heydrich, in a Reich Secret Document, ordered "Jews in Party and State employment" to be executed (Heydrich's Guidelines for Higher SS and Police Leaders in Nazi Occupied Territories). There were about "Six million Jewish men, women, and children [that] were killed during the Holocaust" ("Final Solution": Overview). This was "two-thirds of the Jews living in Europe before World War II" ("Final Solution": Overview).
Additionally, the methods by which the SS troops killed the Jews were horrendous. Himmler authorized "the murder of all European Jews by gassing, shooting, and other [unspeakable] means" ("Final Solution": Overview). These methods that the SS used to murder the Jewish people is what defined an SS soldier. The SS soldiers were primarily known for their senseless and brutal ways of killing the Jews. The SS soldiers were also known for their cruel oppression towards their Jewish prisoners. These actions and behaviors of the SS soldiers came to create them, a reputation as the brutal killers and oppressors of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
In the Final Solution, SS troops killed millions of Jewish people by the orders of leading generals like Heydrich. Heydrich, in a Reich Secret Document, ordered "Jews in Party and State employment" to be executed (Heydrich's Guidelines for Higher SS and Police Leaders in Nazi Occupied Territories). There were about "Six million Jewish men, women, and children [that] were killed during the Holocaust" ("Final Solution": Overview). This was "two-thirds of the Jews living in Europe before World War II" ("Final Solution": Overview).
Additionally, the methods by which the SS troops killed the Jews were horrendous. Himmler authorized "the murder of all European Jews by gassing, shooting, and other [unspeakable] means" ("Final Solution": Overview). These methods that the SS used to murder the Jewish people is what defined an SS soldier. The SS soldiers were primarily known for their senseless and brutal ways of killing the Jews. The SS soldiers were also known for their cruel oppression towards their Jewish prisoners. These actions and behaviors of the SS soldiers came to create them, a reputation as the brutal killers and oppressors of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
The Aftermath of the Holocaust
Following the end of the Holocaust, Himmler's SS troops had to take responsibility for their actions. Their leader, Heinrich Himmler, promised "that he ultimately would take responsibility for all of their actions, [but] the end of the war found Himmler dressed in Secret Field Police uniform with papers in the name of Heinrich Hitzinger", attempting to escape his consequences (Heinrich Himmler). Later, "On May 23, 1945, while undergoing a body search, Himmler killed himself by biting down on a cyanide capsule hidden in his mouth for that very purpose" (Heinrich Himmler).
As part of the consequences of their actions in the Holocaust, the SS troops had to face testimonies. In a hearing of the SS-Doctor Kremer on July 18, 1947, Kremer described how his experience "in the gassing of one of [the] groups of women [from the women's camp in Auschwitz] . . . [was beyond anything that he could] imagine. . . more disgusting and horrific" (Klee, Dressen, and Riess 258). As shown by the hearing for Kremer, it can be seen that the SS troops felt disgusted for what they did to the Jews during the Holocaust. Therefore, it could be assumed that the SS troops felt remorse for the brutal and senseless murders that they committed against the Jewish population. Thus, while the SS troops were perceived as senseless killing units, they also felt guilt for the crimes they did.
Following the end of the Holocaust, Himmler's SS troops had to take responsibility for their actions. Their leader, Heinrich Himmler, promised "that he ultimately would take responsibility for all of their actions, [but] the end of the war found Himmler dressed in Secret Field Police uniform with papers in the name of Heinrich Hitzinger", attempting to escape his consequences (Heinrich Himmler). Later, "On May 23, 1945, while undergoing a body search, Himmler killed himself by biting down on a cyanide capsule hidden in his mouth for that very purpose" (Heinrich Himmler).
As part of the consequences of their actions in the Holocaust, the SS troops had to face testimonies. In a hearing of the SS-Doctor Kremer on July 18, 1947, Kremer described how his experience "in the gassing of one of [the] groups of women [from the women's camp in Auschwitz] . . . [was beyond anything that he could] imagine. . . more disgusting and horrific" (Klee, Dressen, and Riess 258). As shown by the hearing for Kremer, it can be seen that the SS troops felt disgusted for what they did to the Jews during the Holocaust. Therefore, it could be assumed that the SS troops felt remorse for the brutal and senseless murders that they committed against the Jewish population. Thus, while the SS troops were perceived as senseless killing units, they also felt guilt for the crimes they did.
Works Cited
Das Schwarze Korps. n.p.,1938. Print.
E. Klee, W. Dressen, V. Riess. The Good Old Days. NY: The Free Press, 1988. Print.
"Final Solution": Overview." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
"Heinrich Himmler." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
"Heydrich's Guidelines for Higher SS and Police Leaders in Nazi Occupied Territories." Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli
Cooperative Enterprise, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
Himmler, Heinrich. Deutsche Geschichte. Frankfurt: n.p., 1993. Print.
Himmler, Heinrich. Washington, U.S Govt. Poznan. 1946. Print, Vol. IV, p. 559.
Das Schwarze Korps. n.p.,1938. Print.
E. Klee, W. Dressen, V. Riess. The Good Old Days. NY: The Free Press, 1988. Print.
"Final Solution": Overview." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
"Heinrich Himmler." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. n.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
"Heydrich's Guidelines for Higher SS and Police Leaders in Nazi Occupied Territories." Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli
Cooperative Enterprise, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
Himmler, Heinrich. Deutsche Geschichte. Frankfurt: n.p., 1993. Print.
Himmler, Heinrich. Washington, U.S Govt. Poznan. 1946. Print, Vol. IV, p. 559.