Waffen SS

The Waffen-SS has derived from its foundation called Schutzstaffel (SS) at the beginning of the Nazi Party as a way of protecting the Adolf Hitler in a politically turbulent period (the decades of 20 and 30 of the twentieth century). Hitler demanded that his elite was composed of citizens with proven Germanic origin, an exceptional mental and physical condition and complied with the standards of Nazi ideology. To put it ahead of the special troop Heinrich Himmler, Which in some years, more exactly in 1933, managed to attract no fewer than 52,000 men for his army. With the rise of the organization, Himmler could attach to their fields the Ordnungspolizei (regular police) and Sicherheitspolizei (security police). The Sicherheitspolizei was further divided into the Kriminalpolizei or Kripo (Criminal police) and the Geheime Staatspolizei or Gestapo (secret police), all subordinate to the office of General Security of the Reich. Its implications were as follows:
 * Regular troops (Verfügungstruppe, SS-VT) serving as elite troops fighting alongside the Wehrmacht (And often leading the operations of WWII)
 * Hitler's personal bodyguard, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH)
 * Control Ghettos

War crimes and atrocities
In Campaign 1944 the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" has committed one of the most horrible atrocities on European soil, destruction of the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane, Where over 600 people were brutally murdered. Men by firing squad, and women and children, huddled inside the village church which was then burned. The 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) Has been blamed for the execution of 134 prisoners Canadians during conflicts in Normandy.

On the Offensive Ardennes in December, elements of the Leibstandarte SS under the command of Joachim Peiper, Performed more than 90 American prisoners of war in Malmedy.

Front Italian troops from the 16th Panzer Division "SS Reichsführer" operating in anti-guerrilla mission, carried out acts of savagery even more terrible than the destruction of Oradour. On August 12, 1944, burned the village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema, Exterminating 560 people. On October 18, annihilated the commune of Marzabotto province of Bologna. To withdraw the troops of the Waffen-SS in 1604 left behind corpses of men, women and children. In addition to these civilians, 226 "Partisan"Italians have been executed.

Quality of the Divisions
Many divisions are seen by historians as the elite, especially those with larger numbers of Germans. These divisions were characterized by having a very high morale and fighting ability, and commitment to the ideals of Crusade against Bolshevism.

These divisions included LSSAH, Das Reich, Totenkopf, The multi-national Wiking, the Hohenstaufen the Frundsberg and the Hitlerjugend

Despite the high casualty rate, these units maintained their fame to the end of guerra.Já units formed during the end of the war had lower quality, and some of the troops Freiwillige were accused of revolt against their commanders and the Nazi regime (see, for example, 13.Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Handschar (Kroatisch Nr.1)

Divisions

 * I-SS Armored Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
 * II-SS Armoured Division Das Reich
 * III-SS Armored Division Totenkopf
 * IV SS-Grenadier Armoured Division Polizei
 * V-SS Armoured Division Wiking
 * VI SS-Mountain Division Nord
 * VII SS-Mountain Division Volute Prinz Eugen
 * VIII-SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
 * IX SS-Armoured Division Hohenstaufen
 * X-SS Armored Division Frundsberg
 * XI-SS Armoured Grenadier Division of Volute Nordland.
 * XII-SS Armored Division Hitler Jugend.
 * XIII SS-Mountain Division "Handschar"
 * XIV-SS Grenadier Division
 * XV-SS Grenadier Division
 * XVI-SS Grenadier Armoured Division Reichsführer-SS.
 * XVII-SS Grenadier Armoured Division Götz von Berlichingen.
 * Eighteenth-SS Armoured Grenadier Division of Vonlutaria Horst Wessel.
 * Nineteenth-SS Grenadier Division
 * XX-SS Grenadier Division
 * XXI SS-Mountain Division Skanderbeg
 * XXII-SS Cavalry Division Vonlutaria Maria Theresa.
 * XXIII SS-Mountain Division Kama
 * XXIII-SS Volunteer Armored Division Grenadier Nederland.
 * XXIV SS-Mountain Division Karstjäger