Waffen-SS School Report

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#1

Alrighty, for some time I’ve been researching the Waffen-SS, and I’ve come to the conclusion with my teacher that I will give a report to my 7th grade class, and the higher 8th grade class.

I’ll be using my mannequin display, and everything has come up very well so far.

I’d just like to ask the forum if they have anything that I should specificly, or nonspecificly, include in my report…

I’m currently typing up and essay, and I’ve almost completed my data sheet.

So any ideas on what I should include? Please don’t be afraid to post! :smiley:

#2

Make sure you tell them some of the medals and uniforms they are wearing. Maybe give a little information on the Waffen-SS and their battles. Do not forget some of the main commanders! Must be a great privilage to do this.

#3

Ah yes, it is. My teacher is having me be specific on how they were generally motorized; hense, the soldiers goggles.

I’ll be sure to give insight on the medals, and what they were givin for.

Since he’s from the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, do you think I should describe the commanders for that particular division, or all of the Waffen-SS in general?

I’m going to make sure I differentiate the Waffen-SS from the Goose Stepping Algemein-SS…

Any other ideas?

#4

on the generals i personally would describe all of the important generals in the German Waffen-SS.

#5
  1. Careful how you do distinguish them. Just because they weren’t running the concentration camps doesn’t mean that they weren’t guilty of horrendous war crimes. A good example of this is the Dirlewanger Brigade - while a Waffen-SS unit, they spent pretty much the entire war on “anti-partisan” duties which mainly seem to have consisted of committing atrocities against Soviet civilians. Thankfully very few of the members of this brigade survived the war.
  2. Foreign volunteers - there were rather a lot of them, and they varied in character. There were also a number of foreign conscripts, notably from the Baltic states.
  3. Criminality - the Waffen-SS was declared a criminal organisation at the Nuremberg trials, the only exception being for men who were conscripted into it. This folds back into point (1) - by all means distinguish the two, but remember that the Waffen-SS also committed horrendous crimes.
#6

Will do.

I was sure to include the foreign volenteers. I have a photo of Croatian Muslims in the Waffen-SS with Fezzez to explain it…

#7

Very good! By any chance is this extra-credit or just something your teacher wants you to show the 7th and 8th graders your Waffen-SS equipment?

#8

My school is extremely retarted, so they say no to extra credit. My teacher’s just going to give it to me anyways! =D

(Currently working on a Fallschirmjager Display!!!)

#9

Wish I knew as much as you do when i was that age. My high school presented a very bogus intrepretation of WW2. Very uninformative as well.

Congrats to you!

#10

Thankyou!

Unfortunately, for my project, I had to turn over the K98 Bayonet, HJ Dagger, and Fighting Knife to my teacher…

My teacher also has this really strange Nazi Armband that I’ll have to post a topic on sooner or later…

#11

Well yes Gen.Sandworm he does know alot for his age at 13. I am almost thirteen and I do not know as much as he does. Wolfgang Von Gottberg at least they are giving you extra credit for it. Where are you presenting at?

#12

The school audotorium. I’m afraid that I’ll confuse everyong; therefor, I’m a tad nervous…

#13

Yeah I could see why you are a tad nervous. I would be if I had to do that in my school audotorium.

#14

Very true…

Also, I’d be careful in suggesting that the officer corp of the Waffen SS was necessarily superior to the Wehrmacht. I think I’ve read that the Waffen SS commanders were often hyper-political, fanatical ex-Hitler Youth, but were more often than not inept militarily, often relying on the superior motivation of their troops to win battles.

#15

Thankyou all for your suggestions. They will all be applied to my report.

#16

cool. Hope your report goes good. Remember, do not mess up. No Pressure:D

#17

Carefull! The Waffen-SS Division Totenkopf was recruited from concentration camp guards. Also later there was a constant interchange between the Totenkopfverbände (Camp guards) and the Waffen-SS, e.g. invalided Waffen-SS troopers transfered to guard duty in concentration camps, while ablebodied guards were transfered to combat units to fill up losses.
The waffen-SS was also used e.g. to crush rthe warsaw ghetto uprising and often connected with Einsatzgruppen, especially during anti-partisan operations in Russia.

Jan

#18

Ok, included everything with everyone’s thoughts. Thanks. Project is completed. I had the whole grades lost but whatever :smiley:

My teacher really liked it, as did many others. Have all personal iteams on display in a glass cabinet, mannequin is set up to the forground of a tri-poster board. Lot’s of photos. Teacher has the knives :smiley:

#19

Sounds awsome. Its nice to hear someone at your age also big into history. I first began getting into history about the same time, or a bit earlier, and am still addicted 5 years later. I’m afraid its got you for life :P.

#20

Most likely! I’m obsessed with…

WWII
Star Wars
Indiana Jones
and
James Bond

They just grip me :smiley:

Ah yes, and today our friend Fritz (Mannequin) was almost riddled with bullets. We had a lock-down in school today, and a police officer came into our classroom, and took a double take and pulled the gun out of his holster when he saw the mannequin…

I’m just glad I didn’t have to buy a new one :smiley: