Focusing on the figure of Odilo Globocnik, the book explores his pivotal role in the Nazi regime's efforts to exterminate European Jews. It delves into his extensive involvement in mass murder, alongside other crimes such as robbery and human trafficking. The narrative emphasizes the severity of his actions, positioning him as one of the most culpable individuals outside the Nazi hierarchy in the Holocaust's horrific execution.
Scope and content: "Any scholar of history will have recognized the similarities between Ancient Rome and the National Socialist movement of the 20th century. Aside from the obvious expansionist policies of empire governed by a single autocratic leader, the Nazis adopted the Roman style extended arm salute, the verbal greeting of hailing the leader and the eagle adorned banners and standards. Another parallel was the introduction of the SS--a modern Praetorian Guard, easily recognizable by the unique attire and consisting of the largest, strongest and fittest men available. Never before has an organization engendered wide-ranging emotion as on the scale of Hitler's SS--lead by Heinrich Himmler, who found his true metier upon his appointment by Hitler in 1929 with his natural organizational and administrative skills. This remarkable book ... turns the spotlight upon those characters at the pinnacle of the pyramid that formed the SS. Illustrated with well over 1000 photographs, these ... volumes are the author's life's work, and present an unique perspective on this feared organization"--Publisher description
“I was following orders.” The answer most commonly quoted by SS men accused of atrocious crimes after Germany had surrendered in 1945. But who gave those orders? Who was the mastermind behind the sophisticated machinery which allowed men from normal family backgrounds to kill on such a scale? The right man at the right time, fate steered Heinrich Himmler to take control of an organization destined to carry out Hitler’s racial policies. This study not only sets out in detail how Heinrich Himmler’s daily routine allowed him to implement Nazi strategy, but it also provides illustrations of the man behind much of it, both at work and at home. Of all the personalities of history demonized by postwar writers, Heinrich Himmler ranks among the most reviled. His legacy is one of hatred, violence and cold blooded murder on a vast scale. A Jekyll and Hyde character, variously described by his generation and those who followed as charming, loyal, polite, a pedant, an eccentric, an organizational genius, a fool, a desk killer and a loving father. The camera allows us into his world, albeit temporarily, and we can equate his busy, but mostly mundane schedule with contemporary images frozen in time.
The holocaust will remain a stain on the history of mankind in perpetuity, long after the recollection of many of the perpetrators has faded. Some names will remain, however, indelibly printed in the records and the memories of future generations. Adolf Hitler's political protestations against certain sections of twentieth-century European society developed into national policy once he achieved his grip on power. His vision of a Europe free of these 'undesirables' almost became a reality. In Heinrich Himmler, he had a loyal servant, only too willing to sell his soul to the Devil to please his master. Himmler's SS organisation was the ideal tool to execute Hitler's plans, and what better administrator than the intelligent and obedient ex-naval officer who directed the Reich security police? From an early age, Reinhard Heydrich was determined to succeed at every challenge he encountered. An ambitious sportsman, a loving family man, and a ruthless executive, Heydrich possessed all the qualities necessary to carry out Hitler's policy in Himmler's name. This book illustrates the life of the architect of genocide, his background, his upbringing, his family, and his career, which developed into engineering one of the greatest crimes in history.