The Waffen-SS was the operational military wing of the Schutzstaffel. Its roots lay with various German paramilitary organizations that formed the Freikorps
and those of the Nazi party, such as the SA, and that were later absorbed into the SS-Verfügungstruppe and Hitler's personal
guard, the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler
(LAH), the direct predecessors of the Waffen-SS. Its main task was to implement the political will of Hitler with force
and to work with the regular German Army in combat operations.
The Waffen-SS Order of Battle eventually
included numerous units ranging in size from small detachments to entire corps. Originally, all Waffen-SS troops had to be German
(including Austrian & Swiss) and of pure Aryan stock, but manning requirements soon made these criteria obsolete. In addition
to the all-German units there were the SS Freiwilligenverbände (SS Volunteer¹ Units) from countries and regions as diverse as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Britain and the Commonwealth (Britisches Freikorps), Bulgaria, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France
(Charlemagne Division), Finland, Georgia, Hungary, India, Italy,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, North
Caucasus, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sudetenland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tibet, Turkistan and Ukraine.
Examples of SS units are the SS Division
Nordland, formed from Norwegian, Danish and Baltic volunteers; an SS Hitlerjugend Division (enlisted ranks were
volunteers from the Hitlerjugend); and an SS Totenkopf Division, formed from excess guard detachments
who had almost all died out by 1942 in the Valdai Hills of Russia (these were replaced by volunteers not affiliated with the concentration camps).
During the early stages of the War on the Eastern Front, the Waffen-SS divisions proved themselves to a skeptical Heer as crack soldiers. In spite of heavy casualties and lower-quality replacements, most
combat formations of the Waffen-SS remained as crack formations until the end of the War. They were characterized by extremely
high unit morale and commitment to the German Reich. Their units received highest priority for new or replacement equipment and could cherry-pick the best
soldiers. Many good soldiers volunteered for the Waffen SS because of its prestigious reputation.
This practice continued through most of the war, but in the end, from 1944 onwards facing manpower shortages, Waffen-SS units
received conscript replacements drawn from disbanded Luftwaffe or Navy units or labour battalions. While these were conscripts
and often lacked any infantry training before being thrown into combat, some SS
units exhibited very high morale and comradeship until the very end of the war.
A large army of Waffen-SS soldiers fought in the Battle of Kursk
and the Battle of the Bulge.
Waffen-SS troops have been accused of committing numerous war crimes, most
notoriously at Oradour-sur-Glane, Marzabotto and in the Malmedy massacre. Some allegations have never been substantiated as many were intended to link the
Waffen-SS to crimes committed by the SS-Verfügungstruppe (political SS).
See also: Comparative military ranks of World War II
Notes
- In addition to recruiting genuine volunteers for service in the Waffen-SS, Germany also drafted conscripts from occupied territories in Eastern Europe, making the term Freiwilligenverbände a
ridiculed misnomer among the latter groups.
References
- Williamson, Gordon (1995). Loyalty is my Honor. Motorbooks International. 192 pp. ISBN 0760300127.
- Quarrie, Bruce (1983). Hitler's samurai: The Waffen-SS in action. Arco Pub. 161 pp. ISBN 0668058056.
- Munoz, Antonio J. (1991). Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS. Axis Europa, Inc. ISBN 0739408178.
External links
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