The SS, or the Schutzstaffel, was created in 1925 originally to serve as Hitlers personal bodyguards. These men were then given training in racial hatred and were taught to become cold-hearted, violent, sadistic, and to not feel anything at human loss. The official positions of defendants as heads of state or holders of high government offices were not to free them from responsibility or mitigate their punishment; nor was the fact that a defendant acted pursuant to an order of a superior to excuse him from responsibility, although it might be considered by the IMT in mitigation of punishment. The Gestapo was somewhat of a division of the SS, making SS the parent organization. [102], In 1933, there was no purge of the German police forces. Those who were arrested were tried, and sent to prison or were executed, depending on their role in the Gestapo. Instead of being exclusively a Prussian state agency, the Gestapo became a national one as a sub-office of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo; Security Police). The only thing distinguishing them was the black hat with a skull and bones on it. by JLEES 16 Aug 2002, 02:40, Post [103] The vast majority of Gestapo officers came from the police forces of the Weimar Republic; members of the SS, the SA, and the Nazi Party also joined the Gestapo but were less numerous. However, it was an important part of the brutal attacks against Jews in Germany. [75], Early efforts to resist the Nazis with aid from abroad were hindered when the opposition's peace feelers to the Western Allies did not meet with success. There was one other significant difference between the Heer and Waffen- SS: Each member of the latter was required to have his blood type tattooed on the underside of his left upper arm to make it easier for medics to treat him on the battlefield. The SS remained in existence until the end of the war. Student opposition leaders were executed in late February, and a major opposition organisation, the Oster Circle, was destroyed in April 1943. Rhm harbored the same intentions.
John Roberts Fox News Family Photos,
Dr Phil Anorexia Show Jordan,
Union County, Sc News Today,
Brian Mccaskey Net Worth,
Mary Alexander Paterson,
Articles D