'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. SS 1923- 1945 examines the history and development of the Schutzstaffel from its origin as Hitler's personal bodyguard to its growth into a millions-strong organisation 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 labour, 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 organisation.