What was the difference between the German army and the SS?
The two main constituent groups were the Allgemeine SS (General SS) and Waffen-SS (Armed SS). The Allgemeine SS was responsible for enforcing the racial policy of Nazi Germany and general policing, whereas the Waffen-SS consisted of combat units within Nazi Germany’s military.
What was the most elite Waffen SS division?
The 10 best were 1) 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler, 2) 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, 3) 3rd SS Division Totenkopf, 4) 5th SS Division Viking, 5) 9th SS Division Hohenstaufen, 6) 10 SS Division Frundsberg, 7) 12th SS Division HitlerJugend, 8) 11th SS Panzer Division Nordland, 9) 28th SS- …
How many Waffen-SS units were involved in the Battle of Normandy?
The Waffen-SS units involved were the 11 SS Nordland, 20 SS Estonian, 23 SS Nederland, 27 SS Langemark, 28 SS Wallonien, all in the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps, and the X SS Corps, which did not command any SS units. In March 1945, the X SS Corps was encircled by the 1st Guards Tank Army, 3rd Shock Army,…
What is the difference between the SS and the Waffen SS?
As a general rule, an “SS Division” was made up of Germans or other Germanic peoples, while a “Division of the SS” was made up of non-Germanic volunteers and conscripts. Himmler’s military formations at the outbreak of the war comprised several subgroups that would become the basis of the Waffen-SS.
Was the Waffen-SS officers corps from an upper-middle-class background?
Historian Bernd Wegner found in his study of officers that a large majority of the senior officers corps of the Waffen-SS were from an upper-middle-class background and would have been considered for commissioning by traditional standards.
Why did the SS-VT have to depend on the German Army?
The SS-VT had to depend on the German Army for its supply of weapons and military training, and its local draft boards responsible for assigning conscripts to the different branches of the Wehrmacht to meet quotas set by the German High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW in German); the SS was given the lowest priority for recruits.