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Battle of Bulge

In the Shadow of the Elites: The 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 00:56

By Lieutenant Colonel James T. McGhee*

“I swear to you, Adolf Hitler, as Fuhrer and Reichschancellor, loyalty and bravery.  I vow to you, and those you have named to command me, obedience unto death, so help me God.”[1]  

This oath, taken by each member of the Waffen SS, summarized their unflinching obedience to Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler.  Although rightly condemned as a criminal organization following the Military Tribunal at Nuremburg, the Waffen SS, more specifically its Panzer Divisions, also ranked as among the most effective of any German military formations.