Heinrich Himmler
Born in Munich, Germany, in 1900, Heinrich Himmler would grow up to be one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. His family was devoutly Catholic. His father was a teacher at a private school in Munich, and at one time had served the royal family as a tutor. Heinrich was the second of his father’s three sons.
After schooling in Landshut, Himmler spent a short stint as a Cadet in the officer corps out of Bavaria at the end of World War I, during which time he did not see any action in the field. Soon after he joined Hitler’s Nazi Party and was involved in the failed overthrow of the Bavarian government.
After the failed attempt, Himmler was married in 1927. He spent the time in between the arrest of Hitler and his second rise to power raising chickens. This was an enterprise in which Himmler would find he would not succeed.
Upon Hitler’s second rise to power, Himmler was placed as the head of the SS by Hitler. This was an important position as the SS at the time served primarily as Hitler’s Bodyguards.
By 1930, Himmler had won an elected seat in the Reichstag, the German Parliament. During this time he worked diligently at expanding the size of the SS. He was able to bring the SS from a small group of 200 men, to a large encompassing corps of over 50 thousand men, also increasing the autonomy and power of the SS at the same time.
From 1933-1934, Himmler’s power base grew larger as he secured appointments to many different police forces throughout the Third Reich. Hitler named him head of the Munich Police Force, the Political Police throughout Bavaria, and the head of the Political Police forces in Prussia and the Gestapo.
Himmler also earned the distiction of creating the first concentration camp in the German Empire at Dachau. He is also credited with deriving the idea for gas chambers as a means for execution of the Jews, after witnessing a mass execution that made him quesy. Himmler was one of the most outspoken leaders of the Anti-semetic ideologies of the Third Reich. Himmler broadened the ideas of the anti-semetic tendencies of the German people, asking for the formation of the perfect race, and the destruction of all non-white peoples.
By 1936, Himmler had become more powerful still. He gained positions as head of the entire Gestapo forces and as Reichsfuhrer of the SS forces. Himmler’s ideologies led to a proclamation in 1939 that decreed that it was the duty of German women to procreate with German soldiers in the SS before they went off to war, and that upon their return they should be allowed second wives.
In the early 1940′s, Himmler continued to gain power and his SS soon became possibly as powerful as the German Army. His power expanded when he was given conrtrol of the German court system. Himmler also gained control over most of the concentration and death camps thoughout the east.
Himmler gained even more power not long after an unsuccessful attempt was made on the life of Adolf Hitler. Himmler was given power of the German Army as well as his SS troops.
As the end was near and the Allies were closing in, Himmler ordered the death camps to stop the killings in an attempt to surrender to the Western allies while still maintaining a front against the Russians. Hitler was so enraged by this action that he removed Himmler from every office and relieved him of all his power. Himmler attempted to escape after the surrender of Germany but was captured by allied forces. Himmler ended his own life in 1945.
Suggested Reading:
Nazism (Oxford Readers)This unique collection brings together extracts from the most innovative and stimulating studies of Nazism, including many forgotten or ignored older ... Read More >
Recent Comments