Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Wilhelm Koppe (15 June 1896 2 July 1975) was a German Nazi commander (Höhere SS und Polizei Führer, HSSP, SS-Obergruppenführer) who was responsible for numerous atrocities against Poles and Jews in Reichsgau Wartheland and the General Government during the German occupation of Poland in World War II.Born in Hildesheim, he fought in the First World War. During the interwar period, he pursued a career in trade and wholesale. He joined the Nazi Party in 1930, the Sturmabteilung (SA) in 1931, and the Schutzstaffel (SS) in 1932. Prior to World War II, he was a regional SS and SD commander in Münster, the Free City of Danzig, Dresden and Leipzig. The German invasion of Poland took place in September 1939, and in October he became the Höhere SS und Polizei Führer in Reichsgau Wartheland, under the command of Arthur Greiser, Gauleiter. However, because of the confusing power struggle inside the Nazi organisation where Hitler divided and ruled via his changing favourites, he had the same power and responsibilities as Greiser. He had a very good relationship with Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler.