Gladiators of World War II

WAR AND SOLDIERS

They were Hitler's bodyguards

Leader säälimättömiä suojelijoita.

But these loyal Nazis were also the most feared warriors of the war.

The Waffen SS, the SS combat troops, were known for perseverance.

The Waffen SS was the countless times a cornerstone of the German defense

who always fought to the last man.

The enemy paid tribute to their courage

but feared for their brutality.

Waffen SS men claim that only totelleensa commands.

We had heard rumors of concentration camps

but in the camps of the SS exercised in the name of the atrocities

are not related to the Waffen SS in any way. We were just soldiers.

Many SS's dark reputation have created offenses

did the organization of other branches, such as the Gestapo

the concentration camps guards and tuhoamispartiot.

But the Waffen SS was guilty of terrible atrocities.

The worst of them was the destruction of the village of Oradour

and the killing of 648 inhabitants in June 1944.

Veterans still do not admit evidence of this occurring.

The server Waffen SS throughout the war.

I did not see a single war crimes.

Who were the men who were able to both heroism and brutality?

This elite group dating back to the early days of the Nazi Party.

Germany paid the price for the 1918 defeat.

The Weimar Republic was in trouble because of the severe peace terms.

Germany suffered due to heavy war reparations inflation and unemployment.

The people went towards extremism, the communists and Hitler's Nazis.

Confrontations were seen often.

The Nazis established the 1922 Sturmabteilung , or SA

to protect the party's speakers. They began to say ruskeapaidoiksi.

SA's Director of Ernst Röhm was founded a year later

to protect the special unit of Hitler.

The men were identified by a black cap.

It soon resigned from the brown shirts, took the name of Schutzstaffel , or SS

and began to use entirely black look.

In 1929, the kilt-looking but ruthless Heinrich Himmler

rose to the SS lead.

It was still a small organization compared to 60,000 men SA.

SS Himmler stressed the disparities between the EU and SA.

SA He was a para-military unit

and the SS was the elite group of people and an integral part of the Nazi Party.

He scrape the party's intelligence and racial issues of the SS under.

When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933

SS got the important new tasks.

It provided security guards for the new Dachau concentration camp near Munich.

This was the beginning of the SS dismal share of the mass murder of the Jews.

SS received in 1936 under its auspices also of the secret police, the Gestapo

that Hermann Goering had set up in 1933.

The whole control mechanism and violence was directly controlled by Himmler.

In addition to the Führer ordered the SS to set up a separate unit

which received the name of the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler.

It later grew Waffen SS, ie an armed SS.

Leibstandarte oli Hitlerin henkivartiokaarti.

It is guarded by the kingdom's Office and the Führer's castle in Berchtesgaden.

First World War Staff Sergeant Sepp Dietrich

had risen to Hitler's inner circle and was commander of the Leibstandarte.

Guard consisted only of volunteers. They were to be 2335 years old

in excellent physical condition, and at least 180 cm long.

Applicants also had to prove that it is fully clean Aryans.

SS Himmler's view, was the party's best

alokkaisiin so indoctrinated by Nazi doctrine and the concept of the Master.

Therefore, the Waffen SS was so ruthless in battle.

Lichterfelden kasarmille is majoittui

which had operated during the emperor's prestigious officer school.

The army took care of military training.

Exercise and field exercises was a lot.

The men of the Leibstandarte were proud Equipment and parade.

Other SS units mocking "tarmac as soldiers."

SA maintained its influence in the SS, in spite of the increase.

Röhm even suggested that brown shirts was raised above the army.

Hitler stated that Röhmistä was becoming a threat.

He flew to Munich in the early morning 30.6. 1934.

He was accompanied by Sepp Dietrich and selected Leibstandarte unit.

Hitler was arrested Röhm hotel by the lake

Dietrich and carried out further arrests in Munich.

Arrests were also made in Berlin. Leibstandarte took care of the executions.

Karl Wolff, Himmler's adjudantti later explained

that friendships are not stopped the SS.

Among them was Count von Spretich, Röhm's adjutant.

I was then Himmler's adjutant.

His last words were: "Heil Hitler."

We were close friends and often dine together.

He raised his hands and exclaimed: "Heil Hitler Long live Germany!"

Leibstandarte had proved their faithfulness.

The prize does not have to wait long.

SS helped to destroy Röhm's brown shirts

and the praise of Hitler expanded it.

Alongside the Leibstandarte was founded two new regiments

the so-called SS Verfügungstruppe ie SS VT.

They were independently functioning special units.

The organization expanded, but applicants still set strict requirements.

SS VT was Hitler's elite unit, who believed in their own superiority.

Expansion of course angered the Army

who doubted Hitler's converging competing armed forces.

But he thought that the war broke out

SS VT be attached the Army Divisions.

But the army did not give up the SS VT for

it needs artillery and other equipment.

The generals argued that the growing power of the military liiennyt equipment.

Nonetheless, the military helped the SS VT's in training

and agreed to surrender an officer SS Old Testament.

Experienced Paul Hausser became a Waffen SS Inspector General.

Army Training Felix Steiner was transferred to the Waffen SS.

He had been an assault troops

and wanted to educate the Waffen SS attack set.

It would proceed at the head, and the army should be followed as cannon fodder.

The aim was to train hard and ruthless men

and Hausser and Steiner were a great success.

But at the same time men stopped indifferent to the human spirit.

It laid the foundation for the crimes that ruined the Waffen SS's reputation.

The Army received the command of the Leibstandarte

when Austria annexed by Germany in March 1938

and Germany conquered the autumn of Czechoslovakia Sudeten Land.

England and France did not react to the invasion of Czechoslovakia

so Hitler believed he could take over the next Poland.

SS VT went the first time in a real battle.

SS VT fought in Poland motorized infantry regiments.

Hitler closely followed the progress of the Leibstandarte Dietrich

and meant a daily basis its office on the map, "Sepp".

Germany conquered Poland easily

but the army was not satisfied with the SS VT's operations.

It made no attempt to avoid losses

burned villages frighteningly frequent and ill-treated civilians.

Himmler said that the SS would fight better as a unit

as unidentified officers under.

Hitler gave permission to expand SS

but he considered the new units under the command of the Army.

Leibstandarte remained as a separate regiment

but combined with other Divisions.

The second division was assembled police officers

and created in the third concentration camps as guards units.

The division was renamed the SS Totenkopf.

Its commander, Theodor Eicke had commanded Dachau

and was famous for the brutality.

Also expanded the SS VT was renamed.

It worked from March 1940 as the Waffen SS

as a separate branch of the German armed forces.

Hitler began 10. 5. 1940 the long-awaited attack on the West.

Leibstandarte and another SS regiment proceeded at the forefront of the attack.

Paratroopers captured the Dutch airports.

The five-day battles

Leibstandarte worked his way paratroopers creates.

Rotterdam incident occurred

where the paratroopers of General Kurt Student wounded.

He doubted that the shooter was an SS man, but Leibstandarte denied.

The Waffen SS was not included in the Ardennes and the Meuse River crossing.

SS Totenkopf was transferred among the targeted west of attack

to support Erwin Rommel's 7th armored division.

The British departed 21. 5. counterattack

7. panssaridivisioonan ja SS Totenkopfin sivustaan.

Attack surprised the Germans

and caused havoc in the ranks of Totenkopf

before progression then continue.

The Germans besieged the British and the French port of Dunkirk.

SS Leibstandarte oli kiristämässä saartorengasta.

It faced strong resistance, especially Wormhoudtin village.

Dietrich's car was hit, and he was forced for a time to protect themselves from the ditch.

The village were conquered until nightfall.

Leibstandarte received the British prisoners. Approximately 90 men closed the barn.

One of the survivors will tell you what happened then.

They took five men at a time out. I was in the second group.

We turned her back, and they shot. I crawled back to the barn when virkosin.

When the Germans were shooting, the boys fell upon me.

I just hit the knee.

This is the first of those acts, with the Waffen SS got a dark reputation.

Also Theodor Eicken Totenkopf killed prisoners of war.

Le Paradis were murdered in the village of nearly a hundred British soldiers.

Hitler spoke to the western front in honor of the victory

Berlin opera house on 19 July.

He praised in particular the Waffen SS. It was tactically more skilful

but brainwashed soldiers were daring

and terrifying homicidal.

Himmler wanted to increase the Waffen SS

even though the army needed new men.

Hitler agreed to a small extension and a significant change.

The new SS Viking Division

were occupied country racially valid for men.

The division became a right-wing Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

A Danish tells us why he left.

I fought as a volunteer in the Waffen SS on the Eastern Front

a united Europe.

I want to stress

that it was the only chance to fight against communism.

We could not do it alone.

SS divisioonat Das Reich did Leibstandarte

took part in the conquest of Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941.

Each unit excelled.

One case describes well the Waffen SS's fighting spirit

and its wish to demonstrate superiority.

One of the Das Reich led to the companies of Walter Klingenberg

he tried to make Belgrade before the Army valiorykmenttiä.

Rain hampered progress and moved in a savivelliksi

but she got there first on the Danube river.

But all the river-border bridges had been destroyed.

Klingenberg crossed the river in a rowing boat with 10 volunteer

and rushed to the crowd encircle the German embassy.

Klingenberg played from the Mayor

and threatened to call an air attack.

He had no radio, but the mayor believed in him and surrendered.