German soldiers from the Waffen SS in camouflage uniforms reload an MG-34 light machine gun during the Battle of the USSR. Eastern Front, World War II.
SS troops (German “die Waffen-SS”) are military formations of guard detachments (SS) in the Third Reich (Nazi Germany, 1933 – 1945).
At first they were called “reserve troops of the SS”. The name “WaffenSS” was first used in the winter of 1939/40. During the war, these units were under the personal command of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. Parts of the SS-troops took part both in hostilities and in the actions of the Einsatzgruppen (operational groups) that carried out genocide. At the Nuremberg trials, the SS troops were accused of war crimes. In conclusion, members of the SS, including the Waffen SS, were declared a criminal group by the tribunal.
The UN Commission on Human Rights condemned the glorification of former SS-soldiers, and in particular the opening of monuments and memorials, as well as public demonstrations of former SS soldiers.