 Waffen-SS recruitment poster; "Volunteer to the Waffen-SS" The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffeland am elite fighting force in its own right. Its roots lay with various German paramilitary organizations that formed the Freikorps and those of the Nazi party such as the SA and that were later absorbed into the SS-Verfügungstruppe and Hitler's personal guard, the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH), the direct predecessors of the Waffen-SS. Its main task was to implement the political will of Hitler with force and to assist the regular German Army in offensive battles.
The Waffen-SS Order of Battle eventually included numerous units ranging in size from small detachments to entire corps. In addition to the all-German units there were the SS Freiwilligenverbände (SS Volunteer¹ Units) from countries and regions as diverse as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Britain and the Commonwealth (Britisches Freikorps), Bulgaria, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France (Charlemagne Division), Finland, Georgia, Hungary, India, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sudetenland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tibet, Turkistan and Ukraine.
Examples of SS units are the SS Division Nordland, formed from Norwegian, Danish and Baltic volunteers; an SS Hitlerjugend Division (enlisted ranks were volunteers from the Hitlerjugend); and an SS Totenkopf Division, formed from excess guard detachments who had almost all died out by 1942 in the Valdai Hills of Russia (these were replaced by volunteers not affiliated with the concentration camps).
During the early stages of the War on the Eastern Front the Waffen-SS divisions proved themselves to a skeptical Heer as crack soldiers. In spite of heavy casualties and lower-quality replacements, most combat formations of the Waffen-SS remained as crack formations until the end of the War. They were characterized by extremely high unit morale and commitment to the German Reich, and were always treated as highest priority for new or replacement equipment, and got to cherry-pick the best soldiers, and got many good soldiers as volunteers, because it was considered prestigious. This practice continued through most of the war, but in the end, from 1944, facing manpower shortages, Waffen-SS units were receiving conscript replacements drawn from disbanded Luftwaffe or Navy units or labour battalions. While these were conscripts and often lacked any infantry training before being thrown into combat, some SS units exhibited very high morale and comradeship until the very end of the War.
A large army of Waffen-SS soldiers fought in the Battle of Kursk and the Battle of the Bulge.
Waffen-SS troops have been accused of committing numerous war crimes, most notoriously at Oradour-sur-Glane, Marzabotto and in the Malmedy massacre. Some other allegations have never been substantiated. Whilst some of these allegation may be true it must be remembered that there were allied units who committed similar acts, but being on the winning side were never brought to trial.
See also: Comparative military ranks of World War II
Notes
- In addition to recruiting genuine volunteers for service in the Waffen-SS, Germany also drafted conscripts from occupied territories in Eastern Europe, making the term Freiwilligenverbände a ridiculed misnomer among the latter groups.
References
- Williamson, Gordon (1995). Loyalty is my Honor. Motorbooks International. 192 pp. ISBN 0760300127.
- Quarrie, Bruce (1983). Hitler's samurai: The Waffen-SS in action. Arco Pub. 161 pp. ISBN 0668058056.
- Munoz, Antonio J. (1991). Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS. Axis Europa, Inc. ISBN 0739408178.
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