Ideology of the SS

The ideology of the Schutzstaffel ("Protection Squadron"; SS), a paramilitary force and an instrument of terror of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, emphasized a racist vision of "racial purity", primarily based on antisemitism and loyalty to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Members of the SS were indoctrinated with the belief they were part of a "master race" and their core ideology was, even more so than Nazism in general, built on the belief in a superior "Aryan race". This led to the SS playing the main role in political violence and crimes against humanity, including the "mercy killing" of those with congenital illnesses and the Holocaust. After the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, the SS and Nazi Party were declared criminal organizations by the international tribunal at Nuremberg.