Term

SS

Abbreviation for Schutzstaffel, meaning 'guard unit', the armed forces of the German NSDAP.

Men joining the SS supported National Socialism. The SS was formed primarily to protect Hitler and his fellow party members. The duties of the organization were gradually extended to include enforcement of racial laws. The SS comprised various divisions, such as the Gestapo. In the Netherlands the SS was run by Hanns Albin Rauter, whose superior in Germany was Heinrich Himmler.

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