SS Group Leaders Speech 8 11 1938

by Reichsführer-SS Himmler

Gentlemen!

As every year on November 8th, this group leader meeting takes place here in Munich. This year, we have November 8th, 1938, meaning 15 years ago, the Führer made for himself at that time an unprecedented and extremely difficult decision, namely to oppose the Catholic and legitimist reaction in Bavaria and, through the seizure of power in Munich, to prevent us from falling back into a dreadful medieval period. For this reason, it has become our custom to always connect the group leader meeting in Munich with November 9th, the Reich mourning day. I plan to establish and introduce two permanent large group leader meetings in the future, one here on November 8th in Munich – which has been taking place for five years now – and one every year in the spring at Wewelsburg, which will address other matters.

The last group leader meeting at the Berghaus near Bayrischzell I did not personally attend. Many of you must have wondered why I did not come. There was a simple and very understandable reason for this. In August, all political matters were in the midst of development; I could not have said anything to you and should not have said anything. I did not want to appear before you without being able to say something, which is why I deliberately did not come.

As with every meeting, the first thing is to reflect on what happened last year and what has been accomplished. I originally intended this year, 1938, to focus heavily on inner development, refinement, and working on ideological, cultural, and character matters. However, the year and fate decided otherwise. We accomplished very little in terms of internal development, almost nothing at all, we can say. On the contrary, we focused entirely on external development. This year, the Führer brought Austria and the Sudetenland home.

I would like to emphasize here that, in my conviction – contrary to many good citizens – this is not the end of what Germany will achieve but rather the foundation and the beginning. I am further convinced that we, as the Schutzstaffel (SS), must approach the internal and external development of our order with double the diligence, double the energy, and unmatched determination.

For us in the SS, the bringing home of Austria practically meant the establishment of two new Oberabschnitte (upper sections), which have since been consolidated, the re-establishment of about 20,000 SS men, and the re-establishment of two active Standarten, the Standarte "Der Führer" and a Totenkopfstandarte.

For us, the bringing home of the Sudetenland meant the re-establishment of another 20,000 men of the Allgemeine SS and the formation of additional active units.

One more important event or result of this year I would like to mention. The position of the Oberabschnitt leader has been expanded to include the role of higher SS and police leader. In the Oberabschnitt, the process of combining the SS and police into a single corps of the state to protect the Führer began, with all SS and police forces being brought under the command of the Oberabschnitt leader.

I now come to individual matters that I want to discuss in retrospect, and I begin with sports. Sports are not important to us merely in the sense of the term itself, for a sport filled with grandeur, champions, and celebrities would be insignificant and meaningless for the Schutzstaffel. However, it is important in this regard: Combat games and physical training are, and will always remain, essential for the entire SS, for the order of the entire SS, as the means of selection and elimination. There won’t always be political events, and there won’t always be, like in the years of struggle – and here I must immediately say thankfully – internal conflicts through which humanity is sorted based on bravery, character value, and toughness, distinguishing the good from the not good. However, as the first generation of this Schutzstaffel, we must establish a system today that will create a continuous elimination of all the unfit for all time – I am thinking of far-off centuries and perhaps millennia.

We can say that this black uniform, over the course of the first 14 years, especially the last 10 years, has earned a reputation and that it is worn with honor and pride. That is wonderful, but it could one day become dangerous. Therefore, we must do everything to prevent this from becoming a uniform that people like to wear just because it’s prestigious or looks good. Instead, we must ensure that those who wear this uniform demonstrate the same qualities as those selected during the years of struggle. This is why I place such emphasis on combat games and sports, and why I have instituted the policy that, generally, I do not promote men and leaders beyond the age of around 50 if they have not earned their sports badges.

Now, some tell me that the individuals in question don’t have time, that they have too much work. On this matter, regarding how we ensure that today’s generation does not wear itself out too early due to an excess of work before another generation has grown up, leaving us without leaders, I will say a few words: This is why I insist, demand, and urge that the leadership corps, from the bottom up, engage in physical activity and not simply claim that they don’t have the time, nor struggle painfully to earn a sports badge – although that is commendable in some cases – but that this sports badge be the result of ongoing physical activity. Throughout our SS, sports and combat games must be, and in the Verfügungstruppen sharp military exercises testing courage must be, the constant goal by which the cowardly and the unfit fall away, and only the selected remain, the ones we want.

At the combat games in Nuremberg, we performed somewhat adequately. I say "somewhat." I ask the Oberabschnitt leaders to sit down with our man responsible for sports, SS-Brigadeführer Hermann, and privately ask him how the Oberabschnitt is assessed in terms of sports. It is quite clear which Oberabschnitte stand out, where the Oberabschnitt leader himself is involved and cares about sports, knowing how important it is. There is a significant difference between these Oberabschnitte and others where this issue is treated casually and as a secondary concern. I hope not to find any Oberabschnitt next year that lags miles behind the others. Every Oberabschnitt has the opportunity to show good results on average.

I have now observed during the new formations in both the Ostmark and the Sudetenland – and I come to the same conclusion when I look at the old Oberabschnitte: our entire German nation contains an extraordinary amount of good Germanic blood, so much so that we can easily form a Schutzstaffel from it, where it no longer matters whether the men come from Friesland and Schleswig-Holstein or from Chemnitz and Zwickau. It is possible, even from a racially less desirable part of Germany, to extract and forge the steel we need for the Schutzstaffel and its achievements.

Overall, it cannot yet be said that we performed well in the combat games or in the competitions in general. The same applies to the sports badges.

In the field of motorized sports, we have improved significantly. I say this openly: of course, in this area, as in every other, I have the ambition that, even though it is not our main activity, we will be the best. You see, if we are not the best in Germany in any given area, then it’s because we were either lazy, or our selection process was flawed. When you have the best blood, you can achieve the best results everywhere; it merely depends on the effort you put into it.

Now I come to something else that I have noticed very often. We have grown strong through precise, extraordinarily diligent work in organizing every activity. I do not want my senior leaders – from whom the less senior and junior leaders learn – to delegate everything so generously downwards. I do not demand that everyone does everything themselves, but rather that they oversee it. Gentlemen, if a march-past is arranged for any block of the Allgemeine SS, I expect the Standartenführer to lead it himself, and the Abschnittsführer to personally take care of it, to inspect the formation, and so on.

When an SS unit marches past the Führer, it is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon that unit. Showing the unit to the entire nation is worth the personal attention of the Abschnittsführer and the Oberabschnittsführer, and that they personally practice with the men. I do the same before the march-past in Nuremberg. I inspect a rehearsal march beforehand and check the smallest details, such as whether the drum is in place during the turn, whether the men of the band make their head turn at the correct time, whether the music plays at the right tempo, and so on. As a commander, you are responsible for this. The excuse, “I’ve already ordered it,” does not hold; that would bring us to democracy and bureaucracy. Either you ordered it, and it worked, which is good; or you ordered it, and it didn’t work, in which case, gentlemen, either you do not have the necessary authority, or your leaders are poor. But you cannot excuse yourself by saying: “Yes, the Brigadeführer ordered it, but the Sturmbannführer didn’t take care of it.” If, for example, a band leader says: “I’m conducting slowly, but the man with the drum is rushing,” then I suggest switching the band leader and the drummer. I expect the music, which greatly affects the appearance and march of the troops, to be in order. I really don’t see why a decent unit should suffer because the music isn’t good. The men look forward to the march-past, and the brass players ruin it. Generally speaking, the bands have improved somewhat. The music at the party rally was fairly acceptable after some scolding during the rehearsal march-past. In the future, I expect a greater number of good bands and even more precise and refined performances.

All in all, I would like to say: whether it is a dinner you are hosting, the organization of a parade or a march with guests, whether it is a security detail or anything else, I expect the smallest details to be taken into consideration, and I expect the Schutzstaffel to be a model of precision, politeness, and consideration for all other compatriots. If I notice in the future that these things are not taken into account, I will become very unpleasant and difficult to deal with.

Now I want to move on to something further, which I have titled: Fundamental Questions of Organization.

The entire Schutzstaffel today consists of a number of branches, various troop formations, and other institutions. I name for you the Allgemeine SS, the Verfügungstruppen, the Totenkopf units, the Sicherheitsdienst. I intentionally include here the Ordnungspolizei. I also mention the Race and Settlement Main Office with its family welfare departments and its settlement and breeding activities, as well as the schools, the economic enterprises of the SS, and the Ahnenerbe with its intellectual pursuits and spiritual endeavors.

All these things are very important. However, we must ensure, with extraordinary unanimity and understanding, that all these branches we have established always see themselves as part of the whole, just as I personally see my highest duty and responsibility in ensuring that the Schutzstaffel sees itself only as part of the party. First, we are National Socialists, and only then are we SS men. And the same should apply to every individual branch mentioned: each person is first an SS man, and then he belongs to the Allgemeine SS, the Verfügungstruppen, the Totenkopf units, or the SD.

As much as each of you and each commander in your own area enjoys and should see themselves being creatively active — for which you really have the greatest freedom — I ask you to always remind your men and your entire officer corps that they are only a part of the whole and that they are only something if the whole is something.

I will always place, and you must always place, the Allgemeine SS at the forefront. Be clear that every part of this SS was only made possible because the fighting community of the Allgemeine SS from the struggle period existed first, and that every part of the SS will only continue to exist as long as this order within the framework of the Allgemeine SS endures. All other parts would sooner or later become mere black-uniformed units, black-uniformed parts of the police, which would eventually be driven out by a stronger force.

The Allgemeine SS, in its current structure of around 100 foot-standards, is the foundation of our organization and the foundation of our entire ideology. It is the organization tasked with increasingly capturing the truly good blood of Germany, bringing it into our ranks, and educating it among us; not to take it away from the German people, but to educate and instill it with such a spirit of camaraderie, duty, and sacrifice for Germany that we can justify gathering the best people in one organization.

Regarding the Allgemeine SS, I would like to make a few remarks about its organization:

I have ordered in one Oberabschnitt, the Oberabschnitt Süd-Ost, to improve the organization and to try to relieve the Sturmbannführer from much of the clerical work by employing a full-time clerk, a sergeant, for the Sturmbann, so that the Sturmbannführer can spend his time every day with his storm units and platoons.

We also need to relieve the Abschnittsführer so that he can truly carry out leadership activities and not simply administrative ones.

Let me say something about the principle of administration here, not in the sense of our SS-style administration, which includes the financial side, but administration in the sense of general management, in terms of internal organization. In my opinion, we in Germany, and even in the party, suffer from the illness of not organizing things in a living way in many areas. Organizing means creating something organically and filling it with life. We, on the other hand, mechanize and divide the people of the German nation into — let’s say — documents, and we manage these. In my view, the evaluation of people, the evaluation of their work, should begin with: Are you a German who understands something in this area, or are you merely a stubborn administrator? Administration means ensuring that what other people have created does not fall apart. Leadership, however, means shaping character in people in the interest of the nation, bringing out the best in every person in terms of their abilities, and generating new ideas and impulses.

I will never allow the commanders in the field to become merely administrators of an existing organization within the SS. We must be clear that, in 10 years, we will demand more from the Schutzstaffel than we do now. In 10 years, the youth will be better than they are today. In 20 to 30 years, the children who are conceived and born will be more valuable than those today. The demands that this youth will place on commanders will be higher than they are now.

It is a very just arrangement in the world that one must continually strive every day and every year for everything, for the same people, in every respect. If one becomes lazy and slackens, no amount of propaganda will help; the success will not materialize. For a while, there may be empty noise; one may still hear about it, but slowly a desolation sets in. It is the same whether a company commander is capable or not. Of course, he leads his company, but it is lifeless. It is the same whether an organization has people or not, whether a nation grows or not; the same laws always apply. If something is no longer fit for purpose, it must decay. May it be so — this is my wish — that, if the Schutzstaffel were to ever become unfit for purpose, it should calmly disappear. It is within our control and the control of those we educate that we will remain fit for purpose even in centuries and millennia to come.

Now to the Verfügungstruppe (Special Duty Troops). The Verfügungstruppe is designed to go to the field, to go to war. When I describe the overall task of the SS as guaranteeing the security of Germany internally — together with the police, as SS and police have increasingly become one and will continue to do so — then this task is only feasible as long as a part of this Schutzstaffel, this corps of leaders, stands at the front and bleeds. If we were not to make blood sacrifices and not fight at the front, we would lose the moral obligation to shoot the cowards and shirkers back home. This is the purpose of the Verfügungstruppe, which has the most glorious task of all — to be allowed to go into the field.

This year, on the Führer's orders, who has granted us this gift, we will once again increase the Verfügungstruppe. Over the course of its sixth year, the troops will grow from individual standarten into a closed corps ready for deployment. We will later receive the necessary weapons and supplement it to become a complete army corps.

I now come to the Totenkopf units, about which I want to clarify something. The Totenkopf units originated from the guard troops in the concentration camps. They have — as I believe is our nature — naturally transformed into a military unit, from prison guards to soldiers. I am convinced that in everything we begin — similar to King Midas of old — sooner or later we become soldiers. This has been the case in administrative government, in the guard troops, and in the state and criminal police. We always become soldiers, though not military men, but soldiers. Likewise, these guard troops — and I can say this quite openly — thanks to the efforts and work of SS-Gruppenführer Eicke, have become an excellent unit, now with a 12-year service period. Their task in peacetime is to guard the concentration camps, to lock up the scum of Germany, the criminals who roam free in other nations, and in a strictly national manner, to reintegrate these asocial individuals into the national community through forced labor, for the benefit of the people.

Now, some younger leaders might say to me: “But wouldn’t our men suffer mentally or morally from being in constant contact with criminals?” I have a different view. If I were to place old men as prison guards, then indeed a process would develop that we have already studied. Either these men would become sadists, or they would become a kind of preacher, always showing pity towards the prisoners. The principle that we as a master race must have — the ability to be hard without being cruel — would not emerge. A master race must be able to remove individuals harmful to the community without Christian mercy, but at the same time must remain decent and never torment a person. The individual should simply be detained and thus kept away from everyone else. A master race must be able to shoot when a harmful person flees, but never insult them, as that would be indecent since they cannot defend themselves.

I believe that the unit, which forms the core of a large troop for the protection of the homeland in the event of war, must accustom itself in peacetime to this most difficult and unpleasant task in terms of character. Young men, at 17 or 18 years old, must already be able to guard a criminal in peacetime without becoming either soft or cruel.

In wartime, the Totenkopfstandarten — as was the case this time during mobilization — will grow to around 40,000 to 50,000 men. Today, they number 8,500 men. We will increase them according to the current budget to 11,000 men and establish additional battalions, including one in Danzig. I estimate that the Totenkopf units will grow to 15,000 men in the coming years. These 15,000 men will form the nucleus for the 50,000-strong police reinforcement to be formed from men of the Allgemeine SS aged 25 to 35.

This time, we improvised. I will now tell you how it happened and why it was necessary.

In Godesberg, I asked the Führer. I told him I needed to free up the Totenkopf units. I planned to call up my older SS men over the age of 45. The Führer gave his approval.

We then called up around 5,000 older SS men between the ages of 45 and 50, of whom we were able to retain about 3,500. Overall, the result was very pleasing. A small portion, however, did not meet expectations and will be dismissed. Here, gentlemen Sturmbannführer and Standartenführer, a sin is being avenged. Master butcher Lehmann, at 45 or 46 years old in the town of X, thought to himself that joining the Schutzstaffel would be beneficial for business and other advantages. The local Sturmführer accepted him into his unit because he hoped for financial benefits for the unit. The butcher was then bitterly surprised when his membership in the SS had such grim consequences that he had to report for duty and carry a rifle. These men were unsatisfactory. They were sent home and are now being expelled from the SS as well, because I see no reason to have such individuals in our ranks — let them sell their meat or do whatever else they wish.

Our good, honorable old SS men performed outstandingly and willingly did their duty with great decency and sacrifice. Many young SS men could learn from their example.

Thanks to these call-ups, I was able to pull out the active Totenkopf units, divide them into six battalions, and use them actively. The other 4,000 men formed the reserve for SS and police reinforcements, which totaled 11,000 recruits. As a result, by November 5, when the men were discharged, we had about 10,000 men who were somewhat trained after five to six weeks. This is already progress, considering the difficulties we faced. The mobilization efforts, which had always been agreed upon with the War Ministry over the years, had not progressed, so that we only received the Führer’s final orders six weeks before the crisis. Calling up 11,000 men on such short notice was a splendid example of improvisation. No one knew how we would call up the men, and there were no legal provisions. We initially considered calling them up through the local military district commands, but there were no corresponding legal articles. The men wanted to come, we wanted them, but the legal framework was missing. So, I took the following approach: I signed my name on the call-up order. I would have liked to see who would have dared to refuse — and I wouldn't have recommended it to anyone. The men came willingly; I believe 97%, and in some cases even 120%, as more men than expected volunteered. By April 1, I assign the following tasks: 1. To provide the necessary legal framework so that every man we call up is fully available to us. 2. To ensure that each man has already undergone a physical examination, and for the relevant age groups, to dismiss those who joined the SS only in 1933, when there was a rush to join, if it turns out that they are not suitable. I have no interest in keeping an SS man aged 30 without any merit during the struggle, whom I cannot deploy when needed due to flat feet or other ailments. That kind of person must go — this is not proper selection. Gentlemen, you will now rectify what was done wrong back then. Every sin will be avenged. In 1933, you were not careful, and now you will have to remove these individuals from the SS.

I now move on to the next point: the fundamental structure of the SS and police. There is one thing both the SS and the police can truly be proud of, and that is the smooth and silent integration of SS and police, which no one expected. Recall the year 1932, when we were diametrically opposed to the police. Remember the years 1934/35, when the police were still not accepted even within our own ranks. I must point out that even our Führer did not like the old police and did not want them. The same sentiment was shared by countless party comrades.

When I took over the police in 1936, I was fully aware that if the police did not become like a section of the party, they would never amount to anything. The result would be that only poor-quality individuals would join, and the police would deteriorate further.

I was aware that there were many unpleasant people in the police. I knew that if the police were not given meaning and honor, no honorable man would ever join. In this case, the police could effectively commit suicide. The same is true in any other area. I would like to touch on one more thing and ask you not to participate in this general refrain: one cannot constantly berate teachers. It’s no wonder that no decent young person wants to become a teacher if those entering the profession are continually disparaged and getting worse.

I was aware that many people in the police were unpleasant. However, my plan succeeded. I want to quickly rehabilitate the situation a little. At the 1936 Party Rally, for the first time, bearers of the Blood Order and the Golden Party Badge in the police marched past the Führer. In 1937, there were already 2,000 men from police units at the Party Rally, although they did not march with the formations because the psychological resistance was still too great. They were given Sturmbann flags by the Führer, but they were not consecrated with the Blood Flag. However, at this rally, the police were allowed to take guard duty at the Führer’s house on Sunday.

This year, 3,000 police officers marched past the Führer in Nuremberg, and their flags were consecrated with the Blood Flag.

We can rightly say that today the people like the police. We can also observe that the operations in Austria and the Sudetenland demonstrated an excellent camaraderie and unity between the SS and the police, which could not have been better imagined. We can be happy about that. I ask you to continue to work everywhere to ensure that this ideal merging of the SS and the police makes further progress. This unity between the SS and that part of the police that interacts with them as troops — the Ordnungspolizei, led by our Kurt Daluege, and the other part of the police, built by our Gruppenführer Heydrich — must continue to grow.

Now, I come to the issue of recruiting men and leaders. You will recall that in past years, various Gruppenführer and Abschnittsführer came to me, saying that recruitment looked bleak and that we didn’t have enough people. I replied: “My dear, that is not a concern that weighs on me because all of Germany is being built up. The Luftwaffe has been established, with men serving for four years; the army has been expanded; the labor service has been set up. It is no wonder that people from certain age groups have been drawn away.” Furthermore, the Hitler Youth has built up its own corps of leaders. You can’t complain about it not being right. They experienced the same shortage of leaders that all German organizations did and, to some extent, still do. I always said, once the first three years pass, people will return, and over time, the real attraction and propaganda will become clearer. The youth will then make very good choices and distinctions. Today, we can already observe this. If any Standarte lacks recruits, it is merely proof that the commander is no good. Wherever the Schutzstaffel is as I envision it, the youth come to us. It was the same in the Sudetenland.

From the beginning, I have prevented the following mistake there, and I ask you to do the same: Don’t make the error of saying, “Come join the SS, we’ll give you the uniform,” etc. That would be a great self-deception on the one hand, and on the other hand, it would be unworthy of us. You will achieve much more by saying: “Men who want to join the SS can apply here and there.” After the application, a strict selection process will follow. If 100,000 apply, 20,000 will serve and be happy about it.

A very valuable agreement has been reached with the Hitler Youth. I told you before, we need to start evaluating the boys when they are 15 years old, selecting them for the first time then, and again at 16 and 17 years old. By the time they come to us at 18, we will know them well and know that they are capable.

The Hitler Youth has introduced a patrol service in a very understanding manner — Baldur von Schirach has shown great understanding, especially on matters of blood and race. This is an organization within the Hitler Youth that has specific tasks. Each year, it involves 30,000 boys. Three age groups, from 15 to 17 years old, are already being formed and selected according to our principles, and each age group will come to the Schutzstaffel as it is, providing us with an excellent, pre-selected, and properly trained new generation. I would like to highlight another trend in youth that I believe is of extraordinary importance: the Land Service. I want to mention something I experienced many years ago. There was an organization called the Artam League. Some of you may have heard of it. A certain Hohlfelder, a Sudeten German, founded it. Unfortunately, Hans Hohlfelder, an idealistic and remarkable young man, died after three years in a motorcycle accident. Despite great difficulties, he and like-minded comrades began to realize the idea in the years 1923, 1924, 1925, and 1926. The goal was to combat urban flight. Today, we suffer from a dangerous degree of rural flight. Our industrial development draws the best blood from the countryside. As a result, those who remain in the countryside are overworked, especially the women. This leads to the healthiest bloodlines reproducing the least, because the farmwomen, exhausted from their work, can no longer have children.

We can help in various ways during times of need. We can deploy migrant workers, the labor service, the Hitler Youth, and soldiers to help with the harvest. This is good and will temporarily alleviate the danger during harvest crises, preventing the fruits from rotting. However, this does not fundamentally change the situation. To permanently eliminate this danger, there are only two possibilities. First, by consolidating the workforce and saving unnecessary labor in the industry through the use of machines, one can aim to meet the industry's needs so that the vacuum no longer pulls. This is a purely negative measure.

Secondly, it is necessary to convince German youth, through their idealism, that they must return to the land and become farmers again. I believe this is possible. If it was possible to transform the Marxist worker into a patriotic National Socialist, then it must be possible to gather healthy blood from our decent youth, convincing them with heart and reason — although reason is the lesser important factor — to return to the land.

Here, I would like you to take care of this Land Service and its camps — this is the continuation of the idea of the Artam League — wherever you can, helping the boys and girls who are performing this truly thorny work today and taking on this life of sacrifice. The homes are far from beautiful; even the most primitive prison camp looks better. Help them with facilities, transportation, and in every form possible. I also wish that you bring this male youth from the Land Service into the SS, strengthening and supporting them ideologically. In this, I see the solution to this vital question for Germany!

There is something else of importance that SS-Obergruppenführer Darré recently proposed to me, which I fully agree with. I want to set you the task of bringing 300 farmer's sons from each Oberabschnitt, who will one day become hereditary farmers, into the Schutzstaffel next year. This way, we will gradually establish a secure structure in the farming villages. The best sons of the village and, later, the best farmers must be members of this blood and life community of the SS. This task, gentlemen Oberabschnitt leaders, should be your personal priority, as I see it as extraordinarily important. I ask my other Gruppenführer to support us in every case where you can help, even if you are not commanders, to spread these ideas and constantly engage with individual people and speak with them.

I now return to the issue of recruitment. During the second mobilization of the Verfügungstruppe this year, for the first time, around 20 foreigners were among the SS ranks as officers and men, including Swiss, Danes, Balts, Germans from Transylvania, and Poles. Before mobilization, I asked these men if they were willing to participate. I told them they could leave at any time. None of them withdrew.

In this context, I want to briefly tell you about a plan I have in mind on a very large scale. We must be aware that we are facing unprecedented critical confrontations in the next 10 years. It is not just a struggle between nations — the nations on the other side are merely the front — but it is the ideological struggle of the entire Jewish, Masonic, Marxist, and ecclesiastical world. These forces understand — and I consider the Jews the driving force, the primal substance of all things negative — that if Germany and Italy are not destroyed, they themselves will be destroyed. This is a simple conclusion. In Germany, the Jew cannot survive — it is a matter of years. We will drive them out more and more with unprecedented ruthlessness. Italy is on the same path, and Poland does not want the Jews either; it is fighting for this vital issue.

Other countries, such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium, are not yet anti-Semitic today, but they will become so in time. We are sending our best propagandists over there. As soon as the Jewish emigrants move to Switzerland, Holland, etc., and settle into their typical professions, suddenly the patriots begin to turn anti-Semitic. If three out of ten lawyers in a Swiss city are Jews, then the Swiss lawyers will certainly struggle to make a living, and when their wallets begin to shrink, even a lawyer will suddenly, and with justification, become an anti-Semite.

Furthermore, Czechoslovakia has become anti-Semitic, the entire Balkans have become anti-Semitic, and all of Palestine is in a desperate struggle against the Jews, so that soon the world will have no place left for them. They believe that the only way to remove this danger is by destroying the source of anti-Semitism, the homeland of anti-Semitism — Germany.

Be aware that if we lose this struggle, there will be no reservation left for the Germanic people, but rather everything will be starved and slaughtered. This will affect everyone, whether they are passionate supporters of the Third Reich or not. It will be enough that they speak German and have a German mother.

From this understanding, the following thoughts must be considered. All good blood in the world, all Germanic blood that is not on the German side, could one day be our undoing. Therefore, every Germanic person with good blood that we bring to Germany and turn into a German-conscious Germanic is one more fighter for us and one less for the other side. I truly intend to gather, steal, and take Germanic blood from all over the world, wherever I can. The Standarte "Germania" did not receive its name for nothing. There is a Standarte "Deutschland" and a Standarte "Germania." I have set the goal that within two years at the latest, the Standarte "Germania" will consist of non-German Germanics. I am convinced, just as you and I know the Germanics: the Germanic is so extraordinarily honorable that once he has sworn an oath, he keeps it. However, we must ensure that the way in which we recruit these people is truly honorable. You must not bring me anyone who has broken their loyalty to another. If a Germanic leaves his corps or his nation, he must do so with an honorable farewell. He must not be a traitor. We must also avoid repeating the mistake that Prussia and Germany made with Alsace-Lorraine after 1871. You cannot tell an Alsatian: “You were a Frenchman yesterday, and today you are a German.” You can tell him: “You are an Alemannic, you look like us, and you owe it to your father and your ancestors to march in the homeland of your blood.” I don’t mean this politically concerning Alsace-Lorraine — that is over. I mean it only as an example: we must never make the same mistake in another place. Here, only blood and the conviction of “Greater Germany” can speak. The Germanic Reich is the homeland of Nordic blood, and that will be the strongest magnet to attract this blood.

I will now repeat something that I mentioned at the last group leaders' meeting. I wish for the leader recruitment to truly consist of the best that Germany has to offer. I envision that each of us should pick out, from among our acquaintances, those who are of good race and who, at first glance, can be identified as natural-born leaders. They just need to be given the opportunity to prove themselves. You must bring these young men to us, spend many hours with them, and constantly ensure, throughout the next years of their lives, that you remain their mentor and patron until they become lieutenants with us. In this way, we will truly have the best that Germany has to offer in our ranks, whether it be the son of a streetcar conductor or a count. No good blood, regardless of where it comes from, should be barred from joining us. However, only the very best blood should enter the leadership, for this leadership will be the bloodline selection, the new nobility of the German people.

I ask you, gentlemen, to dedicate yourselves to this task as the most important one overall. We need a large number of young men today. At the recent mobilization, I provided the army, at the Führer’s request, with 100 police officers and 200 SS leaders to serve as company commanders. Each of you, as a veteran soldier, can imagine what it means for a corps to give away 300 company commanders. This was only possible — and I can say this today — because we illegally trained three to four times as many officers as we were permitted. The Wehrmacht was grateful that I could provide them with these young leaders. I will continue to train illegally if necessary.

I now come to an important matter, namely the education of the leadership corps.

I must announce something that is actually sad, but I cannot withhold it.

I have stripped SS-Gruppenführer Wittje of his rank, with the Führer's authorization, and dismissed him from the SS. This was the mildest judgment I could give. I will briefly outline the matter.

Gruppenführer Wittje was highly problematic in one aspect of human behavior. In a series of incidents — starting from his time in the Wehrmacht, through his private life, and even during his service with the SS — he behaved, under the influence of alcohol, in such a way that serious doubts arose about whether he was heavily burdened under §175 (concerning homosexual conduct). We conducted a thorough investigation over six months. The Grand Court of the Reichsführer-SS, composed of SS-Obergruppenführers and Gruppenführers, confirmed the suspicions I had regrettably anticipated. Additionally, I summoned Wittje three times regarding these matters, urged him, and warned him to give up drinking so that he would not lose the necessary restraint.

You can believe me that this was very difficult for me, and it was far from pleasant or desirable for the SS as a whole. Regarding this example, I would like to say something and ask you to act accordingly. Human weaknesses and other indecencies will always occur, even in the best corps and communities. The difference between organizations lies in how they handle such matters. One type of organization covers things up, saying it would be embarrassing if the person were excluded. The other type of community says, “This is terrible for us, but he must go.” Follow this latter principle. I do not want such things covered up anywhere in the SS, even in a single unit. As long as we eradicate such behavior and can be strict despite a man’s past achievements, we will remain healthy. The moment we can no longer maintain this strictness, we will be sick and dead.

Recall, in light of this example, the entire thought process that is vital for the character development of a leadership corps. Everything depends on this. The people are always decent; it only depends on the quality of the leadership corps.

Now I demand something further. I demand that the leadership corps always demonstrate the highest level of work and duty, even if it means working 12 to 14 hours a day when necessary. Furthermore, I demand a reasonable lifestyle. Otherwise, with the relentless pace we are setting, we will not be able to achieve these things. I plan to lead by example in one area this year and do something that I will then ask of all of you. I intend to have a full medical examination once a year, even though I personally feel it is unnecessary. I have had too many unpleasant experiences where the best leaders and men suddenly developed heart conditions due to overwork or other illnesses that they should not have had at their age but that were explainable due to extreme wear and tear and overstrain. We are constantly straining our nerves, and this takes a toll on our health. I believe I owe it to all of you to ensure that the leadership corps does not wear itself out too early in fulfilling its duties. I owe it to you and your families.

We must be clear that today’s leadership generation must last 10, 15, or even 20 years. Let us not forget that we began taking positions in the state and party six years ago. At that time, these positions were small and insignificant, just beginning to develop. Today, after six years, they have become huge institutions, corresponding to the size of Germany. We were all relatively unprepared when we took these positions because they were small. Our successors will enter positions that are already enormous in scope and significance. They will need to have learned a great deal and continue learning to take on such roles. In other words, those who are not yet in important positions today — people between the ages of 20 and 30 — will need at least 10 to 15 years before they can move into major roles. This means recognizing that all those aged 30 to 60 who are capable of leadership are already in some leading position. We cannot expect anything more from these three decades. Replacement for any losses can only come from the youth, and that will only be possible in 15 years. Until then, we must manage with today’s leadership generation. However, if we continue at this pace without caring for our health as we have done so far, five years will not be enough.

We must take care of the health of our leadership corps. This is unpleasant. The individual will not do it on his own. If I didn't know — and I admit this honestly — that I cannot demand an examination from others without undergoing one myself, I would never do it. However, since it is necessary, you can be sure that once I set an example, I will issue the order requiring the same from the entire leadership corps, because without this pressure, no one will do it. That's clear. Everyone says, “I'm healthy, this is ridiculous.” But no, it is not. I believe we will be doing the Führer a great service, as he needs all of us, he needs the entire leadership corps of the SS. You can be assured that after my examination, I will enforce this order with the stubbornness and persistence I am known for. I just wanted to announce this to you.

Another point in this direction will be the following:

I will avoid having SS leaders, who are working full-time, take on any additional duties. Over the next couple of years — this won’t be implemented abruptly — I will eliminate dual responsibilities, for example, cases where someone is leading a troop while also serving as a police president. Such dual responsibilities, which take up a lot of time — time that must be compensated for in other ways — include simultaneously serving as an active commander and being a member of the People’s Court, where they have to attend sessions that can last three to four weeks. I have already initiated the necessary actions in this regard.

Either someone is a good police president, in which case he will neglect his troop, or he spends more time with his troop, in which case the police presidency will inevitably suffer. The third option is that someone wears himself out trying to balance both roles. This must stop. I will not make this change harshly so that it causes discomfort, but I will gradually ease this burden. You should address this issue with your leadership corps and ensure it is resolved.

I would also like to address the issue of representation. I know how much this weighs on some individuals. On the one hand, it is necessary for SS leaders — especially those in state positions — to attend public events. On the other hand, we can all complain about how much time this takes up. I offer a small solution to this: Oberabschnitt leaders, like Gauleiters and ministers, receive a large number of invitations. I think it is wrong to refuse them all. You must not do that, because — we are among ourselves, and I can speak openly — if the party lacks the courage and the will to be socially present, then we should not complain, and I say this for all of us, if we are not respected in certain places as we should be. No one has ever secured their place by staying away. This means that you must attend official invitations from the state and the Wehrmacht. However, for invitations where you can send a representative, you should do so — be it for police sports events, our own sports groups, charity events, and the like. I think it is wrong for you to attend those. Of course, you cannot send an Obersturmführer or adjutant as your representative to such events. Instead, you should arrange, as I have suggested in many Oberabschnitte and already seen in practice, to delegate to an Oberführer or Brigadeführer who is no longer active and less burdened than, for example, the commander. This Oberführer will gladly fulfill such a role.

Once again, I emphasize that I think it is absolutely wrong and unacceptable not to respond to an invitation, not to apologize, or not to send a representative. I want our entire leadership corps to be educated to demonstrate the best social manners. This is something I demand and expect. I believe you will be able to gradually instill this in your leadership corps.

I also find it unacceptable for an active SS leader, a Hauptsturmführer, to send his commander a printed card when he gets married. Instead, the Hauptsturmführer should sit down and, as was customary in the past and will always be, write a personal note with his own hand. You cannot send a printed card to a superior that you send to hundreds of others. Please educate your leaders in this regard.

One last point on formal attire, so there are no doubts. The formal evening uniform was personally designed for us by the Führer. One day, he said: “For evenings, you should have a proper formal uniform.” Benno von Arent designed the uniform, and the Führer had it shown to him three or four times, making corrections until it became what it is today. We already had a formal jacket, and I’ll be honest — at first, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic. I was considering the cost, and I wondered how the leadership corps would afford it. However — and I ask all of you to think this way — after I expressed this one concern and the Führer said that means and ways must be found, I did not think against it any further. This is the type of obedience I demand from an SS leader. I told myself, the Führer wishes and wants this, so it must be right. Some of you may now admit how right the Führer was. I especially saw this in Italy, where we compared our uniforms and formal attire with those of other nations, and we saw how well ours was regarded. The Führer is always right, whether it concerns formal attire, bunkers, or highways. Therefore, I wish for this formal uniform to gradually become more widespread in the SS, especially among the higher leadership corps, as finances allow. I am ready to help some of the higher leaders with this if they confidentially mention it to me or SS-Gruppenführer Wolff, who is my trusted confidant in such matters. I want this uniform to be worn impeccably, and I do not wish to see a white vest with even the slightest hint of dirt.

A few more words on the societal education of the leadership corps. I said I expect obedience in such a way that even in thought there is no criticism. I want all higher leaders to remind themselves of this. Let us be clear: our subordinates will obey the way we obey. If we obey with reluctance and inner hesitation, we set an example for our subordinates, who are very sensitive to such things, to do the same.

When we speak of loyalty, obedience, and camaraderie in the SS, it is the highest leaders who must set the best example in these matters. Loyalty, for us, is a given — that I know. It is the same with camaraderie. Obedience, however, can sometimes be more challenging, because the higher commanders may say: "God has given us such an amount of intelligence that we truly feel entitled to criticize this or that order or perhaps complain about it three times." I know very well what my commanders are feeling. I know the troops very well, believe me. But I want, despite the natural human need to sometimes vent frustrations, that there should not be genuine criticism or complaints. I believe you understand.

The swearing-in of Gruppenführer, those who have not yet been sworn in, will not be done at this group leaders' meeting in the future, and even now. It will be done at Wewelsburg. I will invite the Gruppenführer to Wewelsburg next year, where they will commit themselves as Gruppenführer, for life, to the racial and blood laws.

From January 25th to 27th — please mark this down — there will be a three-day meeting in Berlin. The purpose of this meeting is as follows: In January, I will have been Reichsführer-SS for 10 years. I want this group leaders’ meeting to be — I would almost say — a kind of report on my time in this position. I will have lectures given on all aspects of the SS, many of which you are still unfamiliar with — you are not acquainted with all the economic enterprises, nor with many of the intellectual endeavors that have been created. I will especially have short lectures delivered to Oberabschnitt leaders and SS leaders covering the entire scope of police activities in their role as higher SS and police leaders: air raid protection, criminal police, security police, sabotage, protection police, traffic police. All these things, which you must be familiar with, will be presented to you. I believe you will find it very interesting. Additionally, I will show you a number of things for your consideration.

This meeting will take place from January 25th to 27th. On January 29th is the German Police Day for the Winter Relief Campaign, so you will be back in your garrisons by then. On January 30th is the celebration of the six-year anniversary of the seizure of power.

I have a few other points under the heading of "Character Issues." It has come to my attention that a relatively large number of suicides have occurred in the SS this year. I explain it as follows: As good as our young men are — and they really are decent in the Allgemeine-SS, the Verfügungstruppe, and the Totenkopf units, where the same decency is found everywhere — we have had to acknowledge, even among these select men, that a certain portion of specific age groups, now around 28-30 years old, belong to the weakest in terms of willpower that Germany has to offer. These people grew up in the spiritually devastating environment of the November Republic and have developed such peculiar views on some matters that I strongly urge you, as commanders — particularly the commanders of the Verfügungstruppe, the Totenkopf units, and the Junker schools — to take an intense interest in the education of your young officers, the educators of the Allgemeine-SS, and your leadership corps. This generation, which we are already overcoming — the 18- to 19-year-olds have much stronger willpower than before — suffers from countless complexes, thinks they know better than everyone else, and are incredibly oversensitive. If you, as old soldiers, remember what it was like for you at 17 or 18 years old, how much you were scolded and reprimanded, without anyone ever saying a kind word to us. And today, many of the young leaders and men are as delicate as mimosa plants, easily offended, unable to cope with the world's sorrows.

I attribute many suicides to this. I am currently compiling all reports on suicides, reviewing each case, and forming my own conclusions. All of these individuals are between 26 and 30 years old. It is astonishing how quickly someone decides to hang themselves, kill themselves with gas, or shoot themselves. Once I have completed this compilation, I will distribute it to the troops and issue the following order: men who have taken their own lives without an honorable reason — such as atoning for some disgraceful act — will not receive a proper burial from us; they are to be buried without ceremony. I have no understanding for someone throwing their life away like a dirty shirt because they think they can escape some difficult conflict or a problem in love or within the unit by doing so. If these people are so tired of life, then they should at least be formed into a unit, and in the next war, I will know how to use them. In that case, their death would have a purpose for Germany. But simply throwing life away because they cannot cope with themselves is unjust. Everyone can see that this is absolute cowardice and has nothing to do with bravery. I could perhaps understand ending one’s life if life had been wonderful and death difficult, but if someone says, "I have to face such-and-such meeting, so I’ll just grab the gun quickly," then that is a miserable lack of nerve and cowardice.

I ask that this viewpoint be represented today in your discussions with the troops.

At the beginning of next year, you will receive a compilation where I will bluntly report the numbers and tie further measures to it.

This is also connected to the following: It must be a principle among our SS men that no one leaves their post, no one says, "I can’t continue here; my Standartenführer doesn’t suit me, this is unbearable, I have to resign." Likewise, no one in the police can say, "I can’t handle this anymore, it’s too stressful here because of all the unpleasant tasks." We cannot afford that, whether in a high or low position. Not a single SS man has the right to abandon his place in a Sturm, in the police, or anywhere else in the state. That option does not exist. We have boarded Adolf Hitler's ship, and we are bound to be his faithful people. I do not believe we will ever, in our lifetime or in future lifetimes, encounter such a man again.

We may believe we are being treated unjustly by a superior, but that does not give us the right to leave; we must remain. There is no doubt about that.

I have written down a note regarding conflict and discord, two things that may be the most dangerous issues within the German people. I want every SS man to set a good example in these matters for the entire nation and for all of its intellectuals. In a quiet moment, I wrote down a few lines, which I will now read to you. I titled them “Rules of Life for the SS Man”:

"Conflict and discord are the source of a people’s greatest weakness. Unity, submission, and order are the eternal foundation of its strength. We have the duty to use all of the strength within each German for achievement and, thus, for the greatness of our nation. We do not have the right to waste valuable strength in useless quarrels with honorable people who are loyal to the Führer, the movement, and the fatherland, due to differences of opinion, bad moods, or cowardice to settle a matter man to man."

I am referring to the cowardice to resolve an issue. I once had two senior officers in the SS who were in conflict but never came to a resolution. I told them I would make my office available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a bottle of water and two glasses. I assumed they would have worked everything out by evening. I will handle any such situation this way in the future. I will not act as a mediator if the men are too lazy to address everything openly. The only dangerous things are those that remain unspoken. What is manly and decent is to speak openly.

In cases of disagreement and conflict, there are only three possibilities:

1. One is a superior, and the other is a subordinate; in this case, the subordinate must obey. If he truly believes that he cannot follow an order out of a matter of honor, he must report this to his superior in a soldierly manner while maintaining the utmost discipline.

2. Two Germans, who are not in a superior-subordinate relationship, and who know that the other has acted honorably and only wishes to do good, have a difference of opinion, whether professional or personal. They must then openly and decently clarify the matter through discussion and ensure they are not talking past each other."

This often happens, where one person does not say much, and the other does not logically understand what is being communicated. "If the discussion does not resolve the issue, both must submit their stance to a neutral, higher authority for a decision. Both are obligated not to insult the other through words or actions."

I believe one can hold differing opinions on duty, even diametrically opposed views, and still be friends and comrades on a personal level.

"3. In a conflict or disagreement between two Germans, one may believe that the other has acted dishonorably or is of dishonest intent. In such a case, the individual should ask himself if he is truly convinced of this opinion. If he is, he should take the direct approach and formally request the initiation of an honor trial against the other. Telling others or spreading rumors behind someone’s back is not a solution; rather, it is proof that the accuser, not the accused, is the dishonorable one."

I want all SS men to adopt this attitude as a rule of life, not only towards one another but also towards all National Socialists and, indeed, any decent German. Therefore, I demand that no member of the SS, when faced with an issue or conflict, acts impulsively in the heat of anger. Everyone should get used to the idea that, if upset, they should wait at least eight hours before discussing the matter by phone or in person and at least 24 hours before writing a letter or filing a complaint.

Similarly, I believe that if a misunderstanding has occurred, and it becomes clear that there was no ill intent from the other side, it is essential to talk with the comrade within 24 hours and resolve any possible misconduct in a humane manner. I believe it is absolutely necessary and right, from a human perspective, to admit mistakes and wrongdoing and to ask for forgiveness. I think it is harmful to intellectually acknowledge one’s wrongdoing but not rectify it emotionally.

We must be clear on this: camaraderie and the spirit of the corps are built on the heart and must be honorable.

"If a dispute cannot be resolved quickly, the two parties in conflict must never forget that they are comrades, party members, and Germans. The public must never know if two party members are at odds with one another, especially not if they hold high positions. Even when in conflict, comrades must help each other and — what is only natural — greet and respect one another as comrades."

I will have this rule of life printed and sent to all SS leaders, so everyone can read it themselves and truly adopt it as a rule for their life. I believe this can prevent many problems, both big and small.

I would like to propose something. The Goths had a beautiful tradition that involved performing a "Gothic deed" at the end of the year, before the winter solstice — as they called it. This meant doing some honorable and good act, resolving an issue, or removing something unpleasant from the world. I think it wouldn’t be a mistake if we introduced something similar in Germany, and perhaps we can start with the SS.

Now, to my final point: the crisis of the past weeks and months. It is good to draw a line after such events and take stock. The result is as follows: the people behaved admirably, but the intelligentsia was pathetic — pathetic individually, pathetic in their attitude, pathetic in their courage.

What does this mean for us? It means that we must be even tougher and more honorable, and once again set a good example. I told the commander of the "Deutschland" Standarte that I believe — and this applies to any future war — that there should never be an SS man taken as a prisoner. He should end his life first. There will be no prisoners among us. Future wars will not be skirmishes but life-or-death struggles between nations. I was further convinced that if this war had come — and I personally never believed it would, and the Führer didn’t believe it either, I can say that here among comrades, our best advisor on the matter, our comrade Ribbentrop, always advised the Führer in this direction — and had lasted longer, we would have won. However, it would have required an internal struggle with a brutality and iron will that Germany has never experienced before. I can guarantee one thing: as long as I lead the SS, there will be no shirkers or people even thinking of revolution during a war. People would get to know us then. On one hand, we would set a good example, even if we were half-crippled. On the other hand, no matter how humane and decent we want to be as individuals, we would show no mercy when it comes to saving the nation from its demise. It wouldn’t matter if 1,000 people had to be put down in a city. I would do it, and I would expect you to carry it out as well. There is no doubt about that.

This crisis is over. We can rely on the people, but we cannot rely on the intelligentsia. We aim to be the best support for the people and the Führer’s most loyal elite. This is the purpose and goal of the entire education of this corps. You may sometimes be surprised or astonished when I, against my personal feelings and convictions, continue to demand rigor from you, to weed out the weak, and to punish harshly. Believe me, my dear men, it is necessary; because what Germany faces in the future is either the Greater Germanic Empire or nothing. I believe that if we in this Schutzstaffel do our duty, the Führer will create this Greater Germanic Empire, the greatest empire ever established by humanity and the greatest the world has ever seen. With this in mind, go forth to fulfill your duty and work.