Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xi
Author's Note xv
Introduction 1
1 The Defeat of Wilhelmine Germany and the Origins of the National Socialist Party 5
2 The Rebirth of National Socialism and the Creation of the SS 19
3 Heinrich Himmler 33
4 A New Broom 46
5 Taking Control 68
6 Consolidation 87
7 Dachau and the Establishment of the Concentration Camps 95
8 The Central Organisation of the Ss 110
9 The Race and Settlement Office 119
10 The SD-The Intelligence and Security Wing Office 130
11 The Path to Genocide 151
12 Euthanasia and the Beginning of Mass Murder 169
13 Origins of the Waffen-SS 193
14 Militarising the "Political Soldiers" 205
15 Expansion of the Militarised SS 215
16 The Invasion of Poland and the Special Task Groups 224
17 The Ss and the Polish Jews 235
18 Gottlob Berger and the Creation of the Waffen-SS 246
19 Making Up the Numbers: Foreign Volunteers and Criminals in the Waffen-SS 256
20 The Waffen-SS Heads East 296
21 Operation Barbarossa and the First and Second Sweeps 306
22 The Wannsee Conference 325
23 The Extermination Camps 338
24 Auschwitz 366
25 The Final Act 398
Epilogue 410
Appendix: Table of Comparative Military Ranks 413
Notes 415
Bibliography 433
Index 441
