Hitler's Armed SS

The Waffen-SS at War, 1939–1945

Anthony Tucker-Jones

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN: 9781399006941
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: German History
• Index: History

A history of Germany's Waffen-SS from its origins to its evolution, featuring insights to its leading commanders, divisions, war crimes and more.
The Waffen-SS was one of the most formidable German military formations of the Second World War—feared for its tenacity and ruthlessness in battle, notorious for the atrocities it committed. As a distinct fighting force derived from the Nazi Party's SS organization, it stood apart from the other units of the German army. Its origins, structure, and operational role during the war are often misunderstood, and the controversy still surrounding its conduct make it difficult today to get an accurate picture of its actions and its impact on the fighting. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this concise and fluently written account, provides an absorbing and clear-sighted introduction to it.
He traces its development under Himmler from modest beginnings in the early 1930s as Hitler's personal protection squad of elite soldiers to a force which eventually amounted to thirty-eight divisions. Towards the end of the war many Waffen-SS units were formed from foreign volunteers and proved to be of poor quality, but its premier panzer divisions thoroughly deserved their reputation as tough fighters.
Through accounts of the Waffen-SS's major battles on the Eastern Front, in Normandy and finally in defence of Germany, a detailed picture emerges of the contribution it made to the German war effort, especially when Hitler's armies were in retreat. The parts played by the most famous Waffen-SS formations—Das Reich, Totenkopf, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler among them—and their commanders—men like Dietrich and Hausser—can be seen in the wider context of the war and Germany's defeat.
Praise for Hitler's Armed SS
"An extraordinarily informed and informative account that will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists." —Midwest Book Review
"This is a good starter to understand the Waffen SS and its role on the battlefront. It describes each SS Division and its key actions and outcomes." —Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Table of contents

• Cover
• Book Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Plates
• Introduction
• 1. Panzer Elite
• 2. Policemen and Mountaineers
• 3. Himmler’s Foreign Volunteers
• 4. Hausser’s Junkerschulen
• 5. Into Battle with an SS Corps
• 6. Waffen-SS and the Ghettos
• 7. Fought to a Standstill
• 8. Leibstandarte’s Italian Coup
• 9. Das Reich and the Maquis
• 10. Hitlerjugend at Ardenne Abbey
• 11. Hohenstaufen’s Normandy Hills
• 12. Frundsberg at Hill 112
• Plate Section
• 13. The Iron Fist
• 14. Loyal Catholic Ukrainians
• 15. The SS Flatten Warsaw
• 16. Hohenstaufen’s Arnhem Victory
• 17. Budapest Massacre
• 18. Dietrich’s Autumn Mist
• 19. Himmler’s Winter Solstice
• 20. Humiliation in Hungary
• 21. Skorzeny’s Commandos
• 22. Hitler’s British Nazis
• 23. Superheroes or Monsters
• Epilogue: To the Last
• Appendices
• Bibliography
• Index
• Back cover