In 1925, Adolf Hitler formed his own personal bodyguard unit and called it the Schutzstaffel (S.S.). Four years later Heinrich
Himmler was appointed its leader. This
paper looks at the history of one of the world's most feared military units during WWII. It also looks at the structure of the group, its three branches and their roles within the organization. Finally, the paper looks at the downfall of the S.S. with the fall of the Third Reich.