The Origin of the Waffen-SS | Documentary in PURE COLOR

The birth of the Waffen-SS did not take place on the battlefields, but in the corridors of Nazi power. What began as a small personal guard of Adolf Hitler, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, soon transformed into a parallel army fanatically loyal to the Führer. Under the direction of Heinrich Himmler, the SS evolved from a ceremonial body subordinated to the SA into an autonomous organization with military ambitions, shaped by racial ideology and political indoctrination.

The “Night of the Long Knives” in 1934 marked a turning point: the SS proved to be the regime’s executioner, consolidating Hitler’s trust and securing resources to expand. With Sepp Dietrich in command, the Leibstandarte grew from an escort unit into a disciplined regiment, with distinctive uniforms, intensive military training, and absolute loyalty to the Führer. The first campaigns in the Saar, Austria, and the Sudetenland showed that they were no longer mere bodyguards, but an armed force ready to fight and impose terror.

In 1939, with the invasion of Poland, the SS received their baptism of fire. Despite tactical shortcomings, their brutality and fanaticism caught Hitler’s attention, who formalized their role within the Reich’s army. In 1940, the Waffen-SS were officially established as an independent military force that coexisted with the Wehrmacht but remained loyal only to Hitler. Their origin, marked by fanaticism and ideology, explains why they became one of the most feared and blood-soaked organizations of the Second World War.