The Waffen Ss in World War II

From its small origins in 1933 as Adolf Hitler's bodyguard, the Waffen SS would grow to become a massive army encompassing some 38 divisions. Its bloody and vicious reputation was earned early during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 when SS men rounded up and executed the leadership of their rival security force in Germany, the SA (brownshirts). As it grew in size and military might, this ideologically driven elite force wreaked havoc on the battlefield. Lavishly equipped with the latest weapons, clothed in camouflage smocks, trained to win no matter what the cost, the men of the Waffen SS proved themselves fierce fighters. Too often, however, their savagery was meted out against prisoners of war and civilians, earning them the designation of being a criminal organization at the Nuremburg Trials after the war.

About the Author

James Webb has spent 25 years researching World War II and, in particular, the German Army and Waffen SS. He lives in Denver, Colorado.