'Protection Squadron'; SS; also stylised with Armanen runes as ᛋᛋ) was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II.

Dec 18, 2009 · Founded in 1925, the “Schutzstaffel,” German for “Protective Echelon,” initially served as Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler’s (1889-1945) personal bodyguards, and later became one of the most...

Jan 25, 2025 · SS (abbreviation of Schutzstaffel [German: ‘Protective Echelon’]), the black-uniformed elite corps and self-described ‘political soldiers’ of the Nazi Party. Founded by Adolf Hitler in 1925 as a small personal bodyguard, the SS grew with the success of the Nazi movement and became virtually a state within a state.

Jan 30, 2025 · Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) was the head of the Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) organisation.One of the most powerful individuals in Nazi Germany, Himmler built up the SS from a small paramilitary unit to a vast organisation, which included armoured divisions, the Gestapo secret police, the Einsatzgruppen extermination squads, and the Death's Head units, which …

Under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, the SS expanded to become a virtual state within the state in Nazi Germany: responsible for enforcing Nazi racial policies, identifying and persecuting political and other opponents of the Nazi regime.

In 1945, the power and influence of the SS in Nazi Germany started to decline. Learn more about the subsequent disintegration and postwar trials.

The Waffen-SS (German: [ˈvafn̩ʔɛsˌʔɛs]; lit. ' Armed SS ') was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary Schutzstaffel (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both German-occupied Europe and unoccupied lands. [3]

The SS oversaw policing, intelligence, and the camp system in Nazi Germany. Learn more about the Schutzstaffel and its rise to power.

Between 1934 and 1936, the SS gained control of Germany's police forces and expanded their responsibilities. Because of these new responsibilities, the SS divided into two sub-units: the Allgemeine-SS (General SS), and the Waffen-SS (Armed SS).

The Allgemeine SS ([ˌalɡəˈmaɪ̯nə ˈɛs ˈɛs]; "General SS") was a major branch of the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany; it was managed by the SS Main Office (SS-Hauptamt).