ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL
Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) was the Reich Leader (Reichsführer) of the dreaded SS of the Nazi party from 1929 until 1945. Himmler presided over a vast ideological and bureaucratic empire that defined him for many—both inside and outside the Third Reich—as the second most powerful man in Germany during World War II. Given overall responsibility for the security of the Nazi empire, Himmler was the key and senior Nazi official responsible for conceiving and overseeing implementation of the so-called Final Solution, the Nazi plan to murder the Jews of Europe.
PROFILE
NAME: Heinrich Luitpold Himmler
GENDER: Male
DATE OF BIRTH: October 7, 1900 (Munich, Germany)
DATE OF DEATH: May 23, 1945, (Lüneburg, Germany)
OVERVIEW OF LIFE
Heinrich Himmler was born on 7 October 1900 in Munich, the son of a Roman Catholic teacher, who served at the end of WWI and had a variety of jobs; including working as a chicken farmer. He became involved with the Nazi Party in the early 1920s and climb up the ranks as the party's propaganda leader, appointed head of the SS and election to the Reichstag. After the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Himmler became police president in Munich and head of the political police in Bavaria. He used his position to build a state within a state, expanding the SS and establishing its autonomy within the Nazi party and its dominance in Germany such as setting up the first Nazi concentration camp.
Himmler's obsession with racial purity in Germany and encouragement of Aryan 'breeding programmes' allowed him to pursue another racial goal - the extermination of Jews and other so-called 'sub-humans'. In the events following Germany's invasion of Poland, Himmler was given total control of the annexed parts of the country as well as police and political administration of occupied territories. He monitored the 'Final Solution' and administered the system of forced labour.
After the failed attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944, Himmler's position was strengthened still further. But as Germany's defeat became imminent, Himmler made attempts to negotiate with the Allies. Hitler was furious and stripped Himmler of all his offices. Following Germany's surrender, Himmler tried to escape under a false identity but was captured by the Allies. On 23 May 1945 he committed suicide in custody.
This photograph is a primary source of the events that occurred during the Holocaust. It is an extremely useful source as it documents the various aspects of the lives of the people From the 1920s onwards, the Nazi Party targeted German youth as a special audience for its propaganda messages. These messages emphasised that the Party was a movement of youth: dynamic, resilient, forward-looking, and hopeful. Millions of German young people were won over to Nazism in the classroom and through extracurricular activities.
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During a visit to the Hochland youth camp, Reichsfuehrer-SS Heinrich Himmler (center) and camp leader Emil Klein (right, in profile) review a group of German youth who are standing in formation.
Excerpt from the documentary "Geheime Reichssache - the defendants of the 20th July 1944 in front of the Nazi People's Court".
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"I shall speak to you here with all frankness of a very serious subject. We shall now discuss it absolutely openly among ourselves, nevertheless we shall never speak of it in public. I mean the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish race." |
In October 1943, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler held a secret meeting in Poznan, Poland, with members of the Schutzstaffel. The secret meeting lasted 3 hours with a rare recording of Himmler's speech made during which, survived the war and is stored in the U.S. Archives.
The recording is an significant and highly valuable source as the audio is direct proof of Himmler's opinions and thoughts towards the Jews, making it exceptionally useful and relevant. In the video, it contains the words of Himmler, himself, openly discusses the extermination of the Jews and the reasoning behind it; the Reich had the right to exterminate the Jews because the jews were seeking to exterminate the German people. This speech is one of the first that Himmler gave that brusquely illustrated the course of the SS-promoted homicidal pass that would eventually create a the foundations of a genocide. Using a calculated and manipulative approach to his SS men, Himmler attempted to justify the ‘extermination of the Jews’ during his speech.
This source is significant because it illustrates the significance of discretion and loyalty that was impressed upon the SS by Himmler and the Nazi regime, mere architects of this ruthless genocide. He makes his goals clear to the SS men and does not hesitate to maintain a blunt and aggressive attitude throughout the entire speech. He seemed personable and understanding at times–attempting to address any potential thoughts of doubt or guilt that might fall into the minds of an SS man as he listens to the plan of mass murder that Himmler has in store.
"In a future war we shall have not only an army front on land, a navy front at sea, and an airforce front. . . but we shall also have a fourth theatre of war, namely internal Germany. . . lest the three combat branches of Germany be stabbed in the back again."
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The above quote is a section of the a speech that Himmler gave in 1937 to a group of German officers, covering the importance, background and operational duties of the SS. he first talks about the racial requirements of the candidates for the SS units which was a very exclusive group in which a candidate must prove his pure racial heritage. Himmler was obsessed with pure-blooded supremacy, being seen quite obvious throughout the rest of his speech. He also mentions other requirements that were important such as height, ability to stand at attention and being athletic. The quote showcases how importance and valued the Nazi's racial ideology was to them, with the belief that the Bolsheviks and Jewish people were a threat to Germany's war efforts.
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