The SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) — the Death's Head Formations — were made up of Nazi Germany's concentration camp guards. During World War II the SS-TV also provided troops for the first combat unit of the Waffen-SS, the Totenkopf  Division, which eventually evolved into one of Nazi Germany's most formidable combat formations. Categories: Stub ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ...

The SS-TV was established by Standartenführer Theodor Eicke to provide the personnel for the manning of the concentration camps, such as Dachau (where the first unit was established), Sachsenhausen and Oranienburg, the town north of Berlin where the Eicke's office had been established. Theodor Eicke (October 17, 1892 - February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official, SS-Obergruppenführer, commander of the Totenkopfdivision of the SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. ... SS Chief Heinrich Himmler inspects the Dachau concentration camp ( 1936) The Dachau concentration camp was a Nazi German concentration camp near the city of Dachau, north of Munich, in southern Germany. ... Arbeit Macht Frei gate Sachsenhausen was a concentration camp in Germany. ... Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. ... Berlin (pronounced: , German ) is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,387,404 inhabitants (as of September 2004); down from 4. ...

Following the Night of the Long Knives, a purge ordered by Adolf Hitler of potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung, or S.A. in June 1934, Eicke, who had played a major role in that affair, was appointed the Inspector of Concentration Camps and Commander of SS guard formations (Inspekteur der Konzentrationslager und Führer der SS Wachverbände); he was also promoted to the rank of SS-Gruppenführer. On March 29, 1936, the Reichsführer-SS officially designated these units as the SS-Totenkopfverbände. The term Totenkopf, or "Death's Head", remained until the dissolution of the SS in 1945, although the nature of the organization had changed dramatically before and during the war. The Night of the Long Knives (German, Nacht der langen Messer), also known as Reichsmordwoche or the Blood Purge, was a purge ordered by Adolf Hitler of potential political rivals (who have been said to want more socialism and less nationalism in the party)in the Sturmabteilung, or S.A... Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945), a German politician who was the founder of the Third Reich (1933-1945), is widely regarded as one of the most significant and reviled leaders in world history. ... Hitler addressing SA members in the late 1920s The Sturmabteilung (SA, German for Storm Division and is usually translated as stormtroops or stormtroopers) functioned as a paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP – the German Nazi party. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... SS-Gruppenführer collar patch SA-Gruppenführer rank insignia Volkssturm Gruppenführer insignia Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA. SA Rank Translated as “Group Leader”, a Gruppenführer was typically in charge of large numbers of SA units... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Heinrich Himmler as the Reichsführer-SS Reichsführer-SS was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. ... Categories: Stub ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

External links

• History of the Death's Head Division (http://www.historyofmilitary.com/SSTotenkopf_The_History_of_the_Deaths_Head_Division_194045_0760310157.html)
• Ranks of the SS-Totenkopfverbände (http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=3123)