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Himmler

YEAR 12 HISTORY. 2.5 Examine causes and consequences of a significant historical event – 5 credits external. Himmler. Notes from:. HEINRICH HIMMLER The Evil Genius of the Third Reich , – Frischauer, Willi. Odhams Press, London, 1953. Heinrich Himmler. INTRODUCTION:

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Himmler

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  1. YEAR 12 HISTORY 2.5 Examine causes and consequences of a significant historical event – 5 credits external Himmler

  2. Notes from: HEINRICH HIMMLERThe Evil Genius of the Third Reich, – Frischauer, Willi. Odhams Press, London, 1953.

  3. Heinrich Himmler INTRODUCTION: Heinrich Himmler was born on the 7th October 1900. He was a dull and ineffectual man who rose to become the leader of one of the most insidious groups of soldiers ever seen, responsible for the deaths of millions of people during World War Two. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  4. Background: • middle class Catholic family. • one of three boys. • loved medieval history • not a spectacular student • went to a technical high school for agriculture in Munich. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  5. he was declared ‘unfit’ for the army • had connections to Ernst Rohm. • had a minor role in the Munich Putsch (1923). • Hitler formed the Schutz Staffeln (Protective Guards) –the SS. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  6. Himmler joined the Nazi Party in 1925. • he met Gregor Strasser • he was appointed as Assistant Propaganda Chief of the National Socialist Worker’s Party. • Deputy Leader of the SS www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  7. he married Margarethe Borden in 1927 • he bought 50 chickens with her dowry money • he met Alfred Rosenberg who was engrossed in the idea of the superiority of Nordic Blood • and Walther Darre who suggested that he apply what he knew to people - the SS. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  8. He told Hitler of his ideas: “If I had power to rule this exquisite handful of men in his spirit, I could help in perpetuating the Nordic race for ever. They could become the bulwark against the wave of Jewish influences which threatens to drown our beloved people. They could be symbols of the greatness of the German race of which we are the guardians.” www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  9. January 6th 1929 - Reichsfuehrer of the SS Black Guards. • he had fantasies of racial purity. • The SS ideals – Race, Obedience and Sacrifice. • Marriage was a key to racial purity. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  10. 1931 Order No 65 – Marriage Order – Himmler to give permission to marry • Brides were invasively examined • Encouraged SS men to have 4 children • 10-12% of applicants were inducted into the SS. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  11. Reichstag Fire – Gestapo set up • 1933 Himmler was Police President of Munich. • Order of Protective Custody • Dachau –new camp, guarded by the SS. • 12 year contracts www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  12. ‘Commitment to a Concentration Camp’ replaced the Order of Protective Custody. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  13. Arrival at a camp meant donning a camp uniform with symbols. Criminals - green triangles Jews - yellow starBible Students - violet triangles (Jehovah’s Witnesses)Homosexuals - pink trianglesGypsies - brown trianglesWork shy - black trianglesPolitical - dark red triangles www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  14. 1933 the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (Adolf Hitler Bodyguard) LAH was formed • Himmler promoted to Police Chief www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  15. 1934 Himmler was unwell. • SS - ‘Night of the Long Knives’. • Reinhard Heydrich ordered a recruitment drive of 50,000. • two lightening strikes - ancient symbols of Seig-Victory. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  16. SS were to become like Teutonic Knights • Castle rebuilt, used ancient symbols • Heydrich helped plan the first Anschluss- 1934 • The failure of this Anschluss made Hitler become cold towards Himmler. • Himmler took it out on the ‘traditional enemies ofGermany-reactionaries, the Catholics, the Jews above all.’ www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  17. Himmler formed the ‘World League of Anti-Semites’ • German women seen with Jewish men were deemed to have committed Rassenschande - Race Shame. • 1935 Nuremberg Laws underway • SS newspaper Das Schwarze Korps (The Black Corps). • Hitler constantly left difficult decisions to Himmler. “Let Himmler deal with it” – the Jews, Catholics and Party members. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  18. October 1935 Hitler asked Himmler to ‘devote your whole strength to the National Socialist Reich.’ • 1936 - Himmler saw himself as King Heinrich 1 reincarnated. • He relied on the occult and astrologers. • promoted to Reichsfuehrer-SS. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  19. mineral water company bought to prevent SS drinking alcohol • began to study German people living outside Germany • museums had to study human remains for race purity www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  20. Lebensborn developed • ‘Mothers Cross’ • now encouraged SS men to take 2 wives www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  21. 1938 Austria - Anschluss • Jews - ‘If the Americans pay their fare and look after them we shall gladly let them go…” • Mauthausen built for Austrian Jews. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  22. Top: Himmler at German police day 1937 • 1939 most Jews had disappeared from Germany • Random searches carried out • Himmler now a powerful Nazi leader www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  23. Waffen SS (Armed SS) inserted into army units • Auschwitz built for Polish Jews. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  24. Himmler received new orders to: ‘bring back for final return into the Reich all German nationals in foreign countries…[and] to eliminate [parts of the population which] represent a danger to the Reich…’ • made Commissioner for the Preservation of German Volkdom. • Himmler shut down Polish educationand further pursued Lebensborn in Poland www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  25. He looked to the Spanish Inquisition for inspiration: ‘What the Jesuits did for Rome the SS must do for the Nazi Party’. • Einsatzgruppen (Action Groups) to exterminate of 30 million people. • Ghettoes cleared and refilled • 90,000 liquidated in the Ukraine www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  26. Treblinka set up • Gas vans developed • Gave permission for human experimentation • Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  27. Himmler had an unshakable faith in Hitler: ‘Hitler is infallible, he never makes a mistake.’ • Killing had to slow down – disposal of bodies difficult • August 1943 - Reichsfuehrer of the Interior. • Woman Gestapo to strengthen German womanhood • July 1944 Commander of the Reserve Army (Home Guard). www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  28. At The End • refused to assume leadership upon Hitler’s death • Grand Admiral Doenitz named as Hitler’s heir. www.schoolhistory.co.nz

  29. 5th May 1945. • intercepted at a checkpoint. • swallowed a cyanide pill and died. • body lay neglected • he was buried in a secret location: ‘I had to dig the grave myself, nobody will ever know where he is buried’.

  30. Himmler’s Symbols • Death Camps • Death’s Head • SS

  31. Himmler’s SS were responsible for the deaths of: • 4-5 million Jews • 2.5 million Poles • 520,000 Gypsies • 473,000 Russian POWs • 100,000 mentally and physically ill www.schoolhistory.co.nz

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