Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler was born on October 7, 1900, in Munich Germany. Heimler had a strong sense of nationalism and dreamed of serving as an officer for Germany. However, just before Himmler could join WWI, the armistice that ended the war was signed. The Treaty of Versailles then made it impossible for Himmler to follow his dreams of joining the army. Instead, he studied agriculture at the Technical University in Munich. While attending this university, he became part of a German-nationalist student fraternity and became very interested in the racist-nationalist. As Himmler graduated, he was a strong racist-nationalist and a political activist.
In August 1923, Himmler joined the Nazi Party. On November 9, 1923, he marched with Hitler, Rohm, Hermann Goering, and other important Nazis in the Beer Hall Putsch against the government. On January 6, 1929, Hitler named Himmler the leader of the SS, which totaled 280 men at the time. By 1933, the SS had more than 52,000 members. In late 1934, Himmler took control of all the police agencies and helped create the Gestapo. Also, in 1933-1934, Himmler was allowed to create a Centralize Concentration System. This led to the making of concentration camps throughout Europe, and eventually the Final Solution. In July 1941, Himmler was authorized to begin to kill Jews, Soviet officials, gypsies, and people with disabilities. This marked the beginning of the Final Solution, and the mass murder of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Soviet officials, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many others. In 1939, Himmler was allowed to create an armed SS unit, or the Waffen SS. The Waffen SS eventually fielded over 500,000 men and could rival the German army. In 1945, Himmler tried to use the concentration camps as leverage to make a deal with the United States. When Hitler heard about the offered deal, he took away Himmler’s position and ordered he be arrested. Himmler was not arrested, but captured by Russian soldiers on May 20, 1945. On May 23, 1945, the Russians were body searching Himmler, when he bit down on a cyanide capsule to kill himself.
In August 1923, Himmler joined the Nazi Party. On November 9, 1923, he marched with Hitler, Rohm, Hermann Goering, and other important Nazis in the Beer Hall Putsch against the government. On January 6, 1929, Hitler named Himmler the leader of the SS, which totaled 280 men at the time. By 1933, the SS had more than 52,000 members. In late 1934, Himmler took control of all the police agencies and helped create the Gestapo. Also, in 1933-1934, Himmler was allowed to create a Centralize Concentration System. This led to the making of concentration camps throughout Europe, and eventually the Final Solution. In July 1941, Himmler was authorized to begin to kill Jews, Soviet officials, gypsies, and people with disabilities. This marked the beginning of the Final Solution, and the mass murder of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, Soviet officials, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many others. In 1939, Himmler was allowed to create an armed SS unit, or the Waffen SS. The Waffen SS eventually fielded over 500,000 men and could rival the German army. In 1945, Himmler tried to use the concentration camps as leverage to make a deal with the United States. When Hitler heard about the offered deal, he took away Himmler’s position and ordered he be arrested. Himmler was not arrested, but captured by Russian soldiers on May 20, 1945. On May 23, 1945, the Russians were body searching Himmler, when he bit down on a cyanide capsule to kill himself.
Works Cited
"Heinrich Himmler." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 08 May 2016.
<https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007407>.
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<https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007407>.
Page by SH