Behind the Bastards

Part Five: How Heinrich Himmler Went From Nerdy Boy To Master of the SS

September 16, 2025

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  • Heinrich Himmler's rise within the SS was driven by his organizational skills, his ability to exploit the insecurities of his recruits, and his strategic maneuvering against rivals like Ernst Röhm and Hermann Göring, ultimately positioning the SS as a powerful state within a state. 
  • The SS's development into a formidable organization was fueled by its internal 'time of struggle' against other Nazi factions, particularly the SA, which solidified its loyalty to Hitler and paved the way for its later control over crucial state apparatuses like concentration camps. 
  • The Nazi Party's initial electoral successes in 1930 provided a crucial backdrop for the SS's growth, attracting individuals seeking status and belonging, while Himmler's recruitment strategy focused on 'fuck-ups' with a burning need for importance, ensuring their unwavering loyalty. 
  • Hermann Göring's addiction to painkillers and chronic pain significantly impacted his judgment and ability to effectively compete for power within the Nazi regime, allowing Heinrich Himmler to gain an advantage. 
  • The establishment of concentration camps was a new and evolving system, initially driven by various Nazi factions like the SA and local police, before the SS under Himmler consolidated control and formalized the process. 
  • Heinrich Himmler's rise to power was facilitated by his strategic maneuvering, his ability to present himself as a less threatening rival, his focus on internal party policing, and his cultivation of an image as a loyal enforcer of Hitler's will, even while harboring occult beliefs. 

Segments

SS Growth and Ideology
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(00:00:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Himmler’s SS rapidly grew by recruiting ‘racially best’ individuals based on subjective ‘vibes’ and later implemented stricter marriage rules to enforce racial purity.
  • Summary: This segment details the early growth of the SS, the establishment of its racial office, and the development of its ideology, including the concept of the ‘Nordic race’ and the introduction of marriage regulations.
Himmler’s Political Maneuvering
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(00:06:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Himmler strategically used internal party conflicts, particularly between the SS and SA, to consolidate his power and elevate the SS’s importance within the Nazi hierarchy.
  • Summary: The discussion focuses on Himmler’s role in navigating internal Nazi party power struggles, his efforts to gain independence for the SS from the SA, and his cultivation of a loyal following through organizational prowess and political acumen.
Heydrich and the SD
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(00:24:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Reinhard Heydrich, despite a questionable naval record, was appointed head of the SS’s intelligence service (SD) by Himmler, who misunderstood his role as a ‘spy’.
  • Summary: This segment introduces Reinhard Heydrich and the formation of the SD, the SS’s intelligence agency, detailing Heydrich’s background and how he came to lead this crucial organization.
SS as State Apparatus
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(00:49:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Following Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, the SS transitioned from a paramilitary group to an integral part of the state, gaining control over policing, security, and concentration camps.
  • Summary: This part of the conversation explains how the SS, under Himmler’s leadership, solidified its position within the Nazi state, outmaneuvering rivals like Göring and expanding its influence and control over various state functions.
Göring’s Decline and Himmler’s Rise
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(00:51:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Hermann Göring’s severe painkiller addiction and chronic pain significantly impaired his judgment and effectiveness, allowing Heinrich Himmler to strategically outmaneuver him for control of the Gestapo and other police forces.
  • Summary: This segment details how Göring’s personal struggles, including his addiction, made him a less formidable competitor against Himmler, who was relentlessly focused on consolidating power within the SS and police apparatus.
The Genesis of Concentration Camps
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(00:53:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The initial concentration camps arose organically and chaotically from various Nazi groups and local police forces shortly after Hitler took power, before the SS systematically took control and established a standardized system.
  • Summary: The discussion covers the early, often unofficial, establishment of concentration camps by SA chapters and local police, highlighting the lack of centralized control and the subsequent efforts by Himmler and the SS to create an organized system.
Dachau’s Establishment and Early Atrocities
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(00:57:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Dachau was established as the first formal concentration camp under the guise of ‘protective custody’ to intern political enemies, and its early operation by the SS was marked by immediate violence and murder, particularly against Jewish prisoners.
  • Summary: This part details the creation of Dachau, the legalistic justifications used (protective custody), and the brutal actions of the SS immediately after taking control, including the murder of prisoners and the establishment of a camp court with death sentencing power.
Theodore Eicke and the Dachau Model
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(01:01:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Theodore Eicke, a deeply flawed and violent individual, became the commandant of Dachau and established the ‘Dachau model,’ a systematic framework for camp operations that influenced all future concentration camps.
  • Summary: The segment introduces Theodore Eicke, his troubled past, and his appointment as commandant of Dachau, where he developed the organizational and disciplinary structures that would define the SS concentration camp system.
Himmler’s Consolidation of Power
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(01:06:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Through the Night of the Long Knives and subsequent appointments, Heinrich Himmler consolidated his control over all German police forces and established the SS as an independent, powerful organization directly loyal to Hitler.
  • Summary: This section covers how the Night of the Long Knives solidified the SS’s position, Himmler’s appointment as chief of all German police, and how he leveraged his position and the SS’s perceived loyalty to gain immense power, often by appearing less threatening than his rivals.