Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.The Waffen-SS (German for "Armed SS", literally "Weapons SS") was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron") or SS, an organ of the German Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to a force of over 39 divisions, which served alongside the regular army, but was never formally part of the Wehrmacht. Although operational control of the Waffen-SS units on the front line was given to the Army''s High Command, in all other respects they remained under the auspices of Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler''s SS, and behind the lines these units were an instrument of political policy enforcement. It was Adolf Hitler''s will that the Waffen-SS never be integrated into the Army.