Heinrich Himmler

No name is more closely associated with the organisation and execution of the Holocaust than that of Heinrich Himmler. In his youth he already expressed the desire to become an officer in the armed forces. Germany's defeat in 1981 and the collapse of the German empire put a temporary stop to this notion. Subsequent political events and upheavals triggered a process of extreme radicalisation in Himmler which culminated when he personally met Adolf Hitler and joined the NSDAP. Organisational talent, determination, extreme antisemitism and utter ruthlessness towards himself and others made a sinister combination of personal traits that ultimately led to Himmler's appointment as Reichsführer of the SS. This study discusses the period up until January 30th, 1933. The early SS organisation, the implementation of the „Führerprinzip“ („leader principle“) within the NSDAP and the new type of propaganda campaign marked the cornerstones of Hitler's rise to Reich Chancellor. Central to these developments, however, was the career of a man who was to become the most evil mass murderer of the last century.