The first paramilitary unit, the name of which bore the abbreviation SS (German: Schutz Staffel), was the personal guard of the dictator of the Third Reich, called "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", officially formed in 1933. Since 1934, the SS has been an independent formation led by Heinrich Himmler. Over time, other SS units were formed, in particular the SS-Totenkopfverbände and the SS-Verfügungstruppe. It is worth adding that the latter were trained similarly to the regular infantry units of the Wehrmacht. On a relatively small scale, SS units were used in combat during the battles in Poland in 1939 and in the French campaign in 1940. The first units, intended from the very beginning for fighting at the front, were created in mid-1940, receiving the name Waffen-SS. Initially, they were recruited on a voluntary basis, also among non-Germans, but over time, compulsory recruitment began to be used. Many divisions of varying combat value were formed within the Waffen-SS. Nevertheless, some of them (for example, the 1st SS Panzer Division "LAH", the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" or the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth") can be considered elite units, having a very high combat value and often equipped with the best available equipment. They demonstrated their significant advantages not only on the Eastern Front (1941-1945), especially during the battles near Kharkov in 1943, but also during the battles in France in 1944. Another thing is that the quality of the command staff of these units was in many cases questionable, and many Waffen-SS soldiers committed war crimes during World War II.
