The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But we don't ask for their love; only for their fear.' – Himmler Most people would associate the SS with Heinrich Himmler, but the latter was not the first (or the last) leader of this infamous body. The SS 1923–1945 examines the history and development of the chutzstaffel from its origin as Hitler’s personal bodyguard to its growth into a millions-strong organization by the war’s end in 1945. Broken down by the key constituent parts of the SS, such as the police, concentration camps, security services, Waffen-SS, slave labor, Einsatzgruppen and so forth, the book includes exhaustive reference tables, diagrams, maps and charts, presenting all the core subject information in easy-to-follow formats. The SS 1923–1945 will be an essential reference guide for anyone interested in the history or demographics of this infamous organization.