Transcript Heinrich Himmler

Heinrich Himmler
October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945
• Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was a Nazi German
politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS). He was
one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. As
Reichsführer-SS he oversaw all police and security
forces, including the Gestapo.
• After the war, Himmler was active in the Freikorps.
He also joined the National Socialist German
Workers Party and in 1923 took part in the Munich
Putsch. He joined the Sturm Abteilung (SA) in 1927
and was a devout follower of Adolf Hitler. Himmler
believed Hitler was the Messiah that was destined to
lead Germany to greatness. Hitler, who was always
vulnerable to flattery, decided in January, 1929, that
Himmler should become the new leader of his
personal bodyguard, the Schutzstaffel (SS).
• By the time of his appointment the SS had only
280 members. With the agreement of Adolf Hitler,
Himmler expanded the size of the SS. Himmler
personally vetted all applicants to make sure that
all were good ‘Aryan’ men. By the time the Nazi
Party gained power in 1933 Himmler’s SS had
grown to a strength of 52,000.
• After January 1933 its primary function was to
assist in the rounding up of threats to the Nazi
Party. In April 1934, Himmler was appointed head
of the Gestapo.
• This was to become the most feared unit in Nazi
Germany and occupied Europe in World War
Two. Himmler proved a master at organising such
a force.
• In 1936 Himmler gained further authority as
he was appointed commander of the unified
police forces in Germany. This gave him all but
unlimited power to know who was a threat to
Hitler and the party.
• Despite his title, Himmler gained only partial
control of the uniformed police. The actual
powers granted to him were some that were
previously exercised by the ministry of the
interior. It was only in 1943, when Himmler
was appointed minister of the interior, that the
transfer of ministerial power was complete.
• In the winter of 1944–45, Himmler’s Waffen-SS
numbered 910,000 members, with the Allgemeine-SS
hosting a membership of nearly two million.
• Himmler also oversaw the entire concentration
camp system.
• In 1945 Hitler declared Himmler to be a traitor. The
day before Hitler committed suicide, he stripped
Himmler of his titles and ranks - Reichsführer-SS
(Supreme Commander of the SS), Successor of Adolf
Hitler (as Reich chancellor), Chief of the German
police, Reich commissioner of German nationhood,
Reich minister of the interior, Supreme Commander
of the Volkssturm, and Supreme Commander of the
Home Army.
• In total there was 38 different Waffen SS divisions,
all with their own unique name and insignia.
The first SS division was named Leibstandarte SS
Adolf Hitler (SS-LAH).
Officially founded in September 1933 they were
Hitler’s own personal body guards or “lifeguards”.
They became a separate unit along side the SS.
Members of Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler were all
had to be perfect specimens of Hitler’s pure
Germanic Aryan race. Soldiers had to 6ft 2inches
minimum and have no fillings and perfect teeth.