Detailed portraits, biographies and rare photographs of the men who
served in Hitler’s private army
The Leibstandarte was Adolf Hitler's personal Bodyguard Regiment, and
independently participated in combat during the Invasion of Poland. By the end
of World War II it had been increased in size from a regiment to a Panzer
division. The elite division was a component of the Waffen-SS which was found
guilty of war crimes in the Nuremberg Trials.
In the earliest days of the NSDAP, it was realized by the leaders
that bodyguard units composed of trustworthy and loyal men would be a wise
development. In 1934, by order of Himmler, the initials "SS" were added to the
Leibstandarte's title, thus becoming the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Then, in
late June 1934, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was called into serious action
for the first time. As a result of a the political situation that had been
growing within the NSDAP over Ernst Röhm and his stated desire for a second
revolution in Germany, a move was made to remove the problematic heads of the
SA. This action culminated in what is known as Die Röhm Affäre and the Night of
the Long Knives.
The two-volume Dictionnaire de la Leibstandarte offers detailed
portraits and biographies of the principal members of Hitler’s Leibstandarte.
Compiled together for the first time, the 600 photographs provide rare images of
the men who served in this army, along with the uniforms they wore and related
objects in their possession.
