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HISTORY OPINION POLL 4: Men Of Waffen SS: Criminals or Elite Warriors?





As the Nazi Reich collapsed in May 1945, Hitler’s finest soldiers continued with desperate resistance amidst the ruins of Berlin.Throughout the great sphere of conflict created by the Nazis,there was one band of elite units, known and feared across Europe and beyond. In an existence of only twelve years, they won a unique reputation for immense fighting spirit and unfailing professionalism in combat. Yet, despite their undoubted bravery,they established a culture of fear and loathing. In many of the most signal triumphs of German arms and military strength, they played a role far disproportionate to their small numbers. As the Axis powers retreated in the face of the advancing Allies, despite repeatedly sustaining horrific casualties, their discipline remained unbroken, their fighting ability unimpaired. As the crimes of the regime were unearthed, they were burdened with the blackest crimes of the Nazi regime. For all their undoubted bravery, they bear a reputation which will be forever shrouded in infamy. They were the Waffen SS, and, to me, they were the greatest fighting force of the Second World War, and perhaps even of all military history. 






The Waffen-SS were the best equipped units in the Second World War. They were the elite of the elite in Hitler’s Reich. I feel that no Allied or German can touch the lofty position which the Waffen SS occupy in the military history of WWII. Despite their animalistic crimes, the Waffen SS seldom retreated and resisted surrender until the last possible moment of the war. In some of the most famous actions in history, the SS units were always at the front line. The greatest fighting force, in my mind, can only be the unit which, although only in service for six years, served with a gallantry and courage which was near fanatical: the Waffen SS.

Source: Scribd



ALSO READ "Waffen SS: Elite Fighting Machine Of WW2"






Guido Knopp, sums the Waffen-SS perfectly in his documentary “Waffen SS – Hitler’s Elite Fighting Force”: “Had that marvellous courage and unflinching endurance,the blood so freely shed been devoted to a cause in anyway honourable, the Waffen SS would have assured themselves of eternal. But it was not. They served and were inextricably interlinked with a system unutterably evil in any conception.Nurtured by lies, upheld by corruption, impelled by avarice,ambitions and naked lust for power. And thus, although the ranks of the Waffen SS included many who were blameless, its arms will be forever stained with the darkest hues of infamy.”





What do you think is the truth? That the men of Waffen SS were the best and noblest warriors history has ever seen? Or were they just bigoted fanatics? Or does the truth lie somewhere between?


FINAL RESULT OF THE POLL

Greatest Warriors
  624 (46%)
Mere Fanatics
  312 (23%)
Something Between
  398 (29%)


RELATED

Waffen SS Divisons At A Glance: Part 1

Waffen SS Divisons At A Glance: Part 2


Waffen SS Unit Logos

WAFFEN SS IN ACTION: Rare, Unseen Pictures: Part 1







6 comments:

  1. The Waffen SS were the greatestwarriors of the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries. The millions of living SS men after WW2 ended were first disarmed and then murdered by the victorious allied scum. Millions of SS died because the communists and pro-communists of the east and West both feared that if they attempted what they planned, with Waffen SS still alive, they would be destroyed.

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  2. Sorry your side lost pal...better luck next time... Lol, maybe third times a charm! Thank god the allies,including the soviets, but that beast hitler and his minions down.... Can't believe people still glamorize the stinking Waffen ss... It's 2013, and still this garbage... Say, why not the same respect for the Japanese... Did they not charge with the same zeal and élan? Or do you not excuse these murderous folks with equal zeal as their skin is the wrong color and their uniform not as dazzling... Waffen ss special, no.... Not then, not ever....just thugs, well equipped criminals... That's it...

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  3. Waffen ㄣㄣ by far the best of ww2 soldiers.

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  4. they were great soldiers, simply because they were reliable, means they were used to do disgusting tasks.

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  5. Waffen SS is the best soldiers during WW II. I read a lot of articles regarding this war and both allied and reds mentioned that they are the toughest opponent in the German army. I agree they have committed a lot of war crimes, however, even the allied and reds have done the same. Only they able to hide their atrocities because they won the war.

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  6. WELL AS TO THE WAFFEN SS THEY LIKE MY FATHER SAW THE WAR ON THE EASTERN FRONT THERE WAS GOOD AND BAD ON BOTH SIDES IN THIS CONFLICT

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