Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler, born October 7, 1900, was key to Hitler’s plan of racial “purification”, and implementation of security throughout Nazi Germany. During high school, Himmler possessed a strong sense of nationalism, and fervently desired to fight during World War I. Nevertheless, after the Treaty of Versailles (and the restrictions placed on Germany’s military), Himmler studied agriculture in Munich where he involved himself in radical, race-centered politics. In August of 1923, Himmler joined the Nazi Party, and a month later marched side-by-side with Hitler against Germany’s government. After working to build his reputation, and going through marriage, Himmler was promoted to ("Heinrich Himmler").
By the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933, Himmler had built the SS over 50,000 strong and had embellished the concept of security and racial purity into the system through the Race and Settlement Office, and a security agency or Sicherheitsdienst. By 1939, Himmler had consolidated all of Germany’s police force into a Reich Police office and the Secret State Police or Gestapo. Notably through his consolidation, Himmler had also established a unified concentration camp system. Following Germany’s occupation of Poland, Himmler was promoted to “Reich Commissar for the Strengthening of German Ethnic Stock”. As his last act, Himmler was key to the creation and implementation of the “Final Solution” throughout 1942-1943. Himmler strongly believed in the twisted belief of racial cleansing. As Germany began to falter from 1944-1945, Himmler underwent failed negotiation attempts to release concentration camp victims. Eventually Himmler committed suicide in 1945, after his removal from office and capture by British police ("Heinrich Himmler").
By the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933, Himmler had built the SS over 50,000 strong and had embellished the concept of security and racial purity into the system through the Race and Settlement Office, and a security agency or Sicherheitsdienst. By 1939, Himmler had consolidated all of Germany’s police force into a Reich Police office and the Secret State Police or Gestapo. Notably through his consolidation, Himmler had also established a unified concentration camp system. Following Germany’s occupation of Poland, Himmler was promoted to “Reich Commissar for the Strengthening of German Ethnic Stock”. As his last act, Himmler was key to the creation and implementation of the “Final Solution” throughout 1942-1943. Himmler strongly believed in the twisted belief of racial cleansing. As Germany began to falter from 1944-1945, Himmler underwent failed negotiation attempts to release concentration camp victims. Eventually Himmler committed suicide in 1945, after his removal from office and capture by British police ("Heinrich Himmler").
Hermann Göring
Herman Gring, born January 12, 1893, was key to Germany’s Air force, and military strategy in several notable battles. After serving in the first World War and attending one of Hitler’s infamous speeches in 1923, Gring joined the “National Socialist German Workers Party” where he became the head of the Storm Section. After a temporary retreat to Sweden, Gring returned to Germany to assume a position in the Nazi Party’s Reichstag – where he achieved the title of president in 1932. In 1933, Gring became a cabinet minister, and took on the shared responsibility of establishing the German concentration camps. However, Gring’s most notorious role was given to him in early 1938 when he became chief of the German armed forces. Under his new positon, Gring commanded the German Luftwaffe and was accredited to the defeat of several key countries in 1940, as well as the strategy behind the failed Battle of Britain. Gring turned himself in to U.S. forces in May of 1945 where he was eventually found guilty at the Nuremberg Trials. However, before his execution, Gring committed suicide in October (Simkin, "Hermann Göring").
Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels, born October 29, 1897, was important to the maintenance and upholding of Nazi Germany’s (and Hitler’s) reputation as the Minister of Propaganda. After several attempts to establish a career in writing, Goebbels joined the Nazi Party and quickly ascended in status. By the year 1928, Goebbels had been named propaganda director and had been elected to Germany’s Parliament. By 1933, with Hitler’s rise to power, Goebbels was promoted to propaganda minster and achieved total control over the entirety of German writing and arts. In 1939, as World War II began, Goebbels used his control of the cinema to boost the favorability of war with the German people. As the tide shifted in 1944, and Germany’s control faltered, Goebbels began to leverage the media for an all-out war. When Hitler committed suicide in 1945, Goebbels took his position before committing suicide himself shortly thereafter ("Joseph Goebbels").
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess, born April 26, 1894, was known for his role as a personal aide to Hitler and as a leader in the Nazi party. Hess was born in Egypt only to return to Germany at the age of twelve, where he would eventually serve in the first World War. After hearing Hitler speak in 1920, Hess became a member of the “National Socialist German Workers Party”, and formed a close relationship with Hitler. After a set of tremulous events leading to Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, Hess was promoted to leader of the Central Political Committee. However, Hess’s main undertaking was his attempt to fly to Scotland to negotiate peace between Germany and Britain in 1941. Hess never actually negotiated with the British government, but instead was rumored to be making concessions with the Duke of Hamilton and the Royal Family of Scotland. Eventually Hess was captured and locked into the Tower of London where his memory was experimented upon by an American psychiatrist until the Nuremberg Trials. At the trials, Hess was given life imprisonment at the Spandau Prison, where he lived to old age. At ninety-three, Hess allegedly committed suicide (Simkin, "Rudolf Hess").
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann, born March 19, 1906, was known for his role in Jewish affairs within the Nazi party. After involving himself in politics, Eichmann joined the Austrian Nazi Party in 1932. In 1934 Eichmann assumed the role of leader in Jewish Affairs within the Nazi Party, before eventually being named head of the “Reich Central Office for Jewish Emigration.” Under his role, in 1939, Eichmann was responsible for moving the Jewish population in Austria and Czechoslovakia to ghettos in Poland while simultaneously confiscating their personal possessions. In 1942, Eichmann was placed in charge of the “Final Solution” for the Jewish population. By 1944, Eichmann stated that nearly six million Jews had been eliminated under his oversight before changing his name and escaping to Argentina the following year. In 1960, Eichmann was found and captured by secret agents from Israel where he was tried for his crimes. Eichmann was executed in May of 1962 (Simkin, "Adolf Eichmann").
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