Schutzstaffel - SS (Germany)

Definition

The Schutzstaffel or SS was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. They were responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during WWII including running concentration camps.

Analogy

Imagine if your school's security guards weren't just there to keep you safe but were actually enforcing harsh rules set by an oppressive principal. That's kind of what it was like with the SS – they enforced Hitler’s policies at every level throughout Germany.

Related terms

Gestapo: The official secret police force of Nazi Germany which used brutal methods to investigate treasonous activities against Hitler’s regime.

Concentration Camps: Places where large numbers of people were kept as prisoners under harsh conditions, often in small areas, without regard to legal norms of arrest and detention.

Final Solution: The Nazi policy of exterminating European Jews during World War II.