It was disbanded in May 1945. The Waffen-SS grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II. Combining combat and police functions, it served alongside the German Army (Heer), …

The Waffen-SS was the military branch of the SS in Nazi Germany. During World War II, they took part in most military campaigns.

After humble beginnings as a protection unit for the NSDAP leadership, the Waffen-SS eventually grew into a huge force of thirty-eight combat divisions comprising over 950,000 men.

Dec 13, 2024 · This was in fact available, in the shape of the Military SS (Waffen-SS). Its history went back to the early days of the Third Reich, when Hitler had formed an armed personal bodyguard, …

Oct 1, 2025 · How the Waffen-SS evolved from the military arm of Hitler’s private Nazi army to a polyglot force of decreasing combat effectiveness.

May 26, 2024 · The Waffen-SS played a significant and controversial role in World War II, serving as Hitler‘s elite fighting force and participating in some of the most pivotal battles of the conflict.

The Waffen-SS (German pronunciation: [ˈvafən.ɛs.ɛs], Armed Guard) was created as the armed wing of the Nazi Party's Schutzstaffel (guard), [2] and gradually developed into a multi-ethnic and multi …

The Waffen-SS was responsible for supplying extermination and concentration camps during the Holocaust. During many battles, the Waffen-SS was a major part of the Wehrmacht, fighting in …

By 1939 the SS, now numbering about 250,000 men, had become a massive and labyrinthine bureaucracy, divided mainly into two groups: the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) and the Waffen-SS …

Feb 2, 2026 · The last days of the Second World War were incredibly chaotic. To nearly every German soldier it became clear the war had been lost, both in the Wehrmacht and even among some …