The Czech crisis, however, did generate further moves to boost the strength of the SS because of fears that a general European war was about to break out. Hitler passed a decree authorizing service in the Totenkopfverbönde to count as military service, and approved it providing combat replacements for units of the SS-VT. Police reservists and SA troopers were also recalled to almost double the SS-VT's strength to some 24,000 men. Members of the SS-VT who were due to complete their service were also diverted to Eicke's force. In the spring of 1939 his men boasted 19,643 carbines and 2269 machine guns.

Expansion of the SS units

The other armed SS units were also expanded during this period, with the Leibstandarte gaining a fourth infantry battalion, an infantry gun company armed with light 75mm howitzers, an anti-tank company with 37mm cannons, as well as a pioneer platoon of combat engineers and a motorcycle reconnaissance platoon. In the summer of 1939, Hitler's guard force numbered some 3700 men.

Mid-1939 saw Hitler making the final preparations for his next territorial demand, the city of Danzig. The latter had been created a "free city" under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In addition, the Polish state had been given a "corridor" of land to the Baltic, which split East Prussia from the rest of Germany.

During this period of tension in Europe, Hitler attended a major exercise by the Deutschland Regiment at the Munsterlager training ground. He was so impressed by the simulated assault on a trench position by the SS troops, who made lavish use of live ammunition, that he declared, "only with such soldiers is this sort of thing possible". Within days, Hausser was given the task of forming his SS-VT troops into a combat division, capable of fighting alongside the army during coming campaigns. He was authorized to form the specialist combat units needed to create a division, including an artillery regiment, a motorcycle reconnaissance battalion and a signals or radio communications unit to support the new divisional headquarters. As divisional field commander, Hausser would have less influence over the organizational affairs of the armed SS. Plans were now being developed to expand the combat units of the SS. In late 1940, the term Waffen-SS began to be used as a generic term to represent all SS combat units, although it would be several months until a centralized Waffen-SS command structure would be in place.

prev | next