Chief among these organizations were the SA (Sturmabteilung, which translates to “storm detachment”), the SS (Schutzstaffel, which translates to “protection squadron”), and the Gestapo (an acronym of the first letters of Geheime Staatspolizei, or “secret state police”).
what did the SS stand for?
] ( listen); literally ‘Protection Squadron’) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II.
how did the SS start?
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 powerful and feared organizations in all of Nazi Germany.
what is the difference between Gestapo and SS?
Adolf Hitler appoints SS chief Heinrich Himmler chief of all German police units. All police powers are now centralized. The Gestapo (German secret state police) comes under Himmler’s control. Responsible for state security, it has the authority to send individuals to concentration camps.
How many SS were executed?
It is unclear how many SS members were killed in the incident but most estimates place the number killed at around 35–50.
What does Gestapo mean?
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. The name stands for Geheime Staatspolizei. This means “secret state police”. It was under the overall administration of the Schutzstaffel (SS). You may also read,
Why is it called the Third Reich?
The name given by the Nazis to their government in Germany; Reich is German for “empire.” Adolf Hitler, their leader, believed that he was creating a third German empire, a successor to the Holy Roman Empire and the German empire formed by Chancellor Bismarck in the nineteenth century. Check the answer of
What does SS mean in military?
The Schutzstaffel (help·info) (SS) was a large security and military organization controlled by the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) in Germany. “
What did the Gestapo do?
The Gestapo ruthlessly eliminated opposition to the Nazis within Germany and its occupied territories and, in partnership with the Sicherheitsdienst (SD; “Security Service”), was responsible for the roundup of Jews throughout Europe for deportation to extermination camps. Read:
What does the SA stand for?
SA, abbreviation of Sturmabteilung (German: “Assault Division”), byname Storm Troopers or Brownshirts, German Sturmtruppen or Braunhemden, in the German Nazi Party, a paramilitary organization whose methods of violent intimidation played a key role in Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.
What did the SS wear?
The majority of SS personnel wore a variation of the Waffen-SS uniform or the grey-green SS service tunic. Branches with personnel that normally would wear civilian attire in the Reich (such as the Gestapo and Kripo) were issued grey-green SS uniforms in occupied territory to avoid being mistaken for civilians.
Why did SS have skulls?
According to a writing by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the Totenkopf had the following meaning: The Skull is the reminder that you shall always be willing to put your self at stake for the life of the whole community.
What were the requirements to join the SS?
They were to be German nationals who could prove their Aryan ancestry back to 1800, unmarried, and without a criminal record. A four-year commitment was required for the SS-VT and LSSAH. Recruits had to be between the ages of 17 and 23, at least 1.74 metres (5 ft 9 in) tall (1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in) for the LSSAH).
Where did the term blitzkrieg come from?
During the Invasion of Poland, Western journalists adopted the term blitzkrieg to describe this form of armoured warfare. The term had appeared in 1935, in a German military periodical Deutsche Wehr (German Defence), in connection to quick or lightning warfare.
What does Wehrmacht stand for?
The Wehrmacht (German pronunciation: [ˈveː??maxt] ( listen), lit. defence force) was the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force).
