Truth about Sicherheitsdienst and Disbandment: Castration Bill
The Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst (German: [ˈzɪçɐhaɪtsˌdiːnst] ⓘ, "Security Service"), full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS ("Security Service of the Reichsführer-SS"), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization and the Gestapo (formed in 1933) was considered its sister organization through the integration of SS members and operational procedures. The SD was administered as an independent SS office between 1933 and 1939. That year, the SD was transferred over to the Reich Security Main Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt; RSHA), as one of its seven departments.[2] Its first director, Reinhard Heydrich, intended for the SD to bring every single individual within the Third Reich's reach under "continuous supervision".[3]
Following Germany's defeat in World War II, the tribunal at the Nuremberg trials officially declared that the SD was a criminal organisation, along with the rest of Heydrich's RSHA (including the Gestapo) both individually and as branches of the SS in the collective.[4] Heydrich was assassinated in 1942; his successor, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg trials, sentenced to death and hanged in 1946.[5]
The SD, one of the oldest security organizations of the SS, was first formed in 1931 as the Ic-Dienst (Intelligence Service[a]) operating out of a single apartment and reporting directly to Heinrich Himmler. Himmler appointed a former junior naval officer, Reinhard Heydrich, to organise the small agency.[6] The office was renamed Sicherheitsdienst (SD) in the summer of 1932.[7] The SD became more powerful after the Nazi Party took control of Germany in 1933 and the SS started infiltrating all leading positions of the security apparatus of the Reich. Even before Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, the SD was a veritable "watchdog" over the SS and over members of the Nazi Party and played a critical role in consolidating political-police powers into the hands of Himmler and Heydrich.[8]
Growth of SD and SS power[edit]Reinhard Heydrich in 1940
Once Hitler was appointed Chancellor by German President Paul von Hindenburg, he quickly made efforts to manipulate the aging president. On 28 February 1933, Hitler convinced Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency which suspended all civil liberties throughout Germany, due at least in part to the Reichstag fire on the previous night. Hitler assured Hindenburg throughout that he was attempting to stabilize the tumultuous political scene in Germany by taking a "defensive measure against Communist acts of violence endangering the state".[9] Wasting no time, Himmler set the SD in motion as they began creating an extensive card-index of the Nazi regime's political opponents, arresting labor organizers, socialists, Jewish leaders, journalists, and communists in the process, sending them to the newly established prison facility near Munich, Dachau.[10] Himmler's SS and SD made their presence felt at once by helping rid the regime of its known political enemies and its perceived ones, as well. As far as Heydrich and Himmler were concerned, the SD left their mission somewhat vaguely defined so as to "remain an instrument for all eventualities".[11] One such eventuality would soon arise.
For a while, the SS competed with the Sturmabteilung (SA) for influence within Germany. Himmler distrusted the SA and came to deplore the "rabble-rousing" brownshirts (despite once having been a member) and what he saw as indecent sexual deviants amid its leadership.[12] At least one pretext to secure additional influence for Himmler's SS and Heydrich's SD in "protecting" Hitler and securing his absolute trust in their intelligence collection abilities, involved thwarting a plot from Ernst Roehm's SA using subversive means.[13]
On 20 April 1934 Hermann Göring handed over control of the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) to Himmler. Heydrich, named chief of the Gestapo by Himmler on 22 April 1934, also continued as head of the SD.[14] These events further extended Himmler's control of the security mechanism of the Reich, which by proxy also strengthened the surveillance power of Heydrich's SD, as both entities methodically infiltrated every police agency in Germany.[15] Subsequently, the SD was made the sole "party information service" on 9 June 1934.[16]
Under pressure from the Reichswehr (German armed forces) leadership (whose members viewed the enormous armed forces of the SA as an existential threat) and with the collusion of Göring, Joseph Goebbels, the Gestapo and SD, Hitler was led to believe that Röhm's SA posed a serious conspiratorial threat requiring a drastic and immediate solution.[17] For its part, the SD provided fictitious information that there was an assassination plot on Hitler's life and that an SA putsch to assume power was imminent since the SA were allegedly amassing weapons.[18] Additionally, reports were coming into the SD and Gestapo that the vulgarity of the SA's behavior was damaging the party and was even making antisemitism less palatable.[19] On 30 June 1934 the SS and Gestapo acted in coordinated mass arrests that continued for two days. The SS took one of its most decisive steps in eliminating its competition for command of security within Germany and established itself firmly in the Nazi hierarchy, making the SS and its intelligence organ, the SD, responsible only to the Führer. The purge became known as the Night of the Long Knives, with up to 200 people killed in the action.[20] Moreover, the brutal crushing of the SA and its leadership sent a clear message to everyone that opposition to Hitler's regime could be fatal.[21] It struck fear across the Nazi leadership as to the tangible concern of the reach and influence of Himmler's intelligence collection and policing powers.[22]
SD and Austria[edit]
During the autumn of 1937, Hitler secured Mussolini's support to annex Austria (Mussolini was originally apprehensive of the Nazi takeover of Austria) and informed his generals of his intentions to invade both Austria and Czechoslovakia.[23] Getting Mussolini to approve political intrigue against Austria was a major accomplishment, as the Italian Duce had expressed great concern previously in the wake of an Austrian SS unit's attempt to stage a coup not more than three weeks after the Röhm affair, an episode that embarrassed the SS, enraged Hitler, and ended in the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss on 25 July 1934.[24] Nonetheless, to facilitate the incorporation of Austria into the greater Reich, the SD and Gestapo went to work arresting people immediately, using lists compiled by Heydrich.[25] Heydrich's SD and Austrian SS members received financing from Berlin to harass Austrian Chancellor von Schuschnigg's government all throughout 1937. One section of the SD that was nothing more than a front for subversive activities against Austria ironically promoted "German-Austrian peace".[26]
Throughout the events leading to the Anschluß and even after the Nazis marched into Austria on 12 March 1938, Heydrich – convinced that only his SD could pull off a peaceful union between the two German-speaking nations – organized demonstrations, conducted clandestine operations, ordered terror attacks, distributed propaganda materials, encouraged the intimidation of opponents, and had his SS and SD personnel round up prominent anti-Nazis, most of whom ended up in Mauthausen concentration camp[27] The coordinated efforts of the SiPo and Heydrich's SD during the first days of the Anschluß effectively eliminated all forms of possible political, military and economic resistance within Austria.[28] Once the annexation became official, the Austrian police were immediately subordinated to Heydrich's SD, the SS and Gestapo.[29] Machinations by the SD, the Gestapo, and the SS helped to bring Austria fully into Hitler's grasp and on 13 March 1938, he signed into law the union with Austria as tears streamed down his face.[30]
"Case Green" and the Sudetenland[edit]
Concomitant to its machinations against Austria, the SD also became involved in subversive activities throughout Czechoslovakia. Focusing on the Sudetenland with its 3 million ethnic Germans and the disharmony there which the Czech government could not seem to remedy, Hitler set Heydrich's SD in motion in what came to be known as "Case Green".[31] Passed off as a mission to liberate Sudeten Germans from alleged Czech persecution, Case Green was in fact a contingency plan to outright invade and destroy the country, as Hitler intended to "wipe Czechoslovakia off the map."[32]
This operation was akin to earlier SD efforts in Austria; however, unlike Austria, the Czechs fielded their own Secret Service, against which Heydrich had to contend.[33] Once "Case Green" began, Heydrich's SD spies began covertly gathering intelligence, even going so far as having SD agents use their spouses and children in the cover scheme. The operation covered every conceivable type of intelligence data, using a myriad of cameras and photographic equipment, focusing efforts on important strategic locations like government buildings, police stations, postal services, public utilities, logistical routes, and above all, airfields.[34]
Hitler worked out a sophisticated plan to acquire the Sudetenland, including manipulating Slovak nationalists to vie for independence and the suppression of this movement by the Czech government. Under directions from Heydrich, SD operative Alfred Naujocks was re-activated to engage in sabotage activities designed to incite a response from the Slovaks and the Czechs, a mission that ultimately failed.[35] In June 1938 a directive from the SD head office indicated that Hitler issued an order at Jueterbog to his generals to prepare for the invasion of Czechoslovakia.[36] To hasten a presumed heavy response from the French, British, and Czechs, Hitler then upped the stakes and claimed that the Czechs were slaughtering Sudeten Germans. He demanded the unconditional and prompt cession of the Sudetenland to Germany in order to secure the safety of endangered ethnic Germans.[37] Around this time, early plots by select members of the German General Staff emerged, plans which included ridding themselves of Hitler.[38]
Eventually a diplomatic showdown pitting Hitler against the governments of Czechoslovakia, Great Britain, and France, whose tepid reaction to the Austrian Anschluss had precipitated this crisis to some degree, ensued. The Sudetenland Crisis came to an end when Neville Chamberlain and Hitler signed the Munich Agreement on 29 September 1938, effectively ceding the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany.[39] Involvement in international affairs by the SD certainly did not end there and the agency remained active in foreign operations to such a degree that the head of the Reich Foreign Ministry office, Joachim von Ribbentrop, complained of their meddling, since Hitler would apparently make decisions based on SD reports without consulting him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Standard_German
The Sturmabteilung (German: [ˈʃtʊʁmʔapˌtaɪlʊŋ] ⓘ; SA; literally "Storm Division" or Storm Troopers) was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for Nazi rallies and assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, fighting against the paramilitary units of the opposing parties, especially the Roter Frontkämpferbund of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), and intimidating Romani, trade unionists, and especially Jews.
The SA were colloquially called Brownshirts (Braunhemden) because of the colour of their uniform's shirts, similar to Benito Mussolini's blackshirts. The official uniform of the SA was a brown shirt with a brown tie. The color came about because a large shipment of Lettow-shirts, originally intended for the German colonial troops in Germany's former East Africa colony,[2] was purchased in 1921 by Gerhard Roßbach for use by his Freikorps paramilitary unit. They were later used for his Schill Youth organization in Salzburg, and in 1924 were adopted by the Schill Youth in Germany.[3] The "Schill Sportversand" then became the main supplier for the SA's brown shirts. The SA developed pseudo-military titles for its members, with ranks that were later adopted by several other Nazi Party groups.
Following Adolf Hitler's rise to Nazi Party leadership in 1921, he formalized the party's militant supporters into the SA as a group that was to protect party gatherings. In 1923, owing to his growing distrust of the SA, Adolf Hitler ordered the creation of a bodyguard unit, which was ultimately abolished after the failed Beer Hall Putsch later that year. Not long after Hitler's release from prison, he ordered the creation of another bodyguard unit in 1925 that ultimately became the Schutzstaffel (SS). During the Night of the Long Knives (die Nacht der langen Messer) in 1934, the SA's then-leader Ernst Röhm was arrested and executed. The SA continued to exist but lost almost all its influence and was effectively superseded by the SS, which took part in the purge. The SA remained in existence until after Nazi Germany's final capitulation to the Allies in 1945, after which it was disbanded and outlawed by the Allied Control Council.
Kommando Spezialkräfte
From 1973 until the KSK's formation in 1996, the West German (and later German) government assigned all counter-terrorist and special operations activities to GSG 9, a highly trained police force created shortly after the hostage-taking that transpired during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Prior to 1973, the army's Fernspäher (Long-Distance Reconnaissance), the navy's Kampfschwimmer (Combat Swimmers/"Frogmen"), and (until 1989) the Special Weapons Escort Companies—Sonderwaffenbegleitkompanien[3] were the only military units comparable to anything that other nations may have seen as dedicated special forces units.
One political reason for the establishment of the KSK was that in 1994, during the genocide in Rwanda, German citizens had to be evacuated by Belgian para-commandos. This task was carried out by special operations forces of the former colonial power Belgium as agreed upon in advance by the NATO partners. The Federal Government of Germany also refused to intervene on its own, as in its view neither the GSG 9 nor the Bundeswehr "Bravo Companies" were trained to operate in guerrilla situations and there was also a lack of the required transport capability. Several Belgian soldiers died during this operation. Due to the political pressure, the need to have its own forces ready for special operations within NATO became evident.
Following the KSK's activation on 1 April 1997, all but one of the Fernspähkompanie have been either disbanded or merged into the newly constituted unit.
Like all German military units, KSK deployments require authorization from the German Bundestag (Federal Assembly). The unit has engaged in numerous anti-terror campaigns both in Europe and abroad; known engagements include operations inside Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and most recently in Afghanistan.
During the War in Afghanistan, although nominally under OEF command, the KSK worked under ISAF command since 2005, carrying out numerous operations in the vicinity of the German deployment in Kabul, including a successful raid on an al-Qaeda safehouse for suicide bombers in October 2006. KSK operators have commented in the German media about the restrictions placed on them by their national caveats and stated a preference for working directly for the Americans as part of OEF-A as they had done as part of Task Force K-Bar.[4]
As is to be expected with such units, specific operational details such as success and casualty rates are considered to be top secret and withheld even from the highest-ranking members of the Bundestag. This practice has elicited some serious concerns, resulting in agreement to increase both transparency and accountability, by disclosing mission details to selected members of the Bundestag, in relation to the future deployments of KSK forces.
On 4 May 2013, the KSK reported its first casualty. First Sergeant Daniel Wirth was fatally shot in Baghlan Province, Afghanistan during operation "Maiwand". US Army forces were part of the attempted rescue mission.
In 2018, the German Federal Criminal Police Office uncovered a plot involving unknown KSK soldiers to murder prominent German politicians such as Claudia Roth, Heiko Maas and Joachim Gauck among others, and carry out attacks against immigrants living in Germany.[5] Also, earlier that same year in a separate investigation, the State prosecutors in the city of Tübingen investigated whether neo-Nazi symbols were used at a "farewell" event involving members of KSK.[6][7]
In June 2020, German defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that the unit would be partially disbanded due to growing far-right extremism within the ranks.[8] The KSK had become partially independent from the chain of command, with a toxic leadership culture. One of the force's four companies where extremism is said to be the most rife was to be dissolved and not replaced.[9]
Commanders[edit]1996–1998: Brigadier General Fred Schulz1998–2000: Brigadier General Hans-Heinrich Dieter2000–2003: Brigadier General Reinhard Günzel2003–2005: Brigadier General Carl-Hubertus von Butler2005–2007: Brigadier General Rainer Hartbrod2007–2010: Brigadier General Hans-Christoph Ammon2010–2013: Brigadier General Heinz Josef Feldmann2013–2017: Brigadier General Dag Knut Baehr2018–2021: Brigadier General Markus Kreitmayr[10]2021–present: Brigadier General Ansgar Meyer[2]
† Brigadier general Dag Baehr has previously served twice as a field officer in the KSK: First, under the command of Brigadier General Schulz, when it was founded from 1996 until 1999 and then again between 2004 until 2007 under the command of Brigadier General Hartbrod.[11][12]
Structure[edit]KSK land based training operations (2017)KSK air insertion training (2017)
The KSK is a brigade level unit of the regular army divided into two battalion-sized departments Operational Forces and Support Forces and the HQ and the Development Group.
Organization[edit]Kommando SpezialkräfteKSK StaffPsychological ServiceLanguage ServiceStaff and Command Support Company1st Commando Company3rd Commando Company4th Commando CompanySpecial Commando CompanySpecial Reconnaissance CompanySignal CompanySupport CompanyQuartermaster/ Handling PlatoonMaintenance PlatoonParachutes/ Air Handling PlatoonMedical CenterTraining DepartmentDevelopment Department
In 2020 the 2nd Commando Company was dissolved "after an accumulation of incidents and a notable build-up of right-wing extremists in the unit".[13]
Operational forces[edit]
Combat-ready units are divided into three commando companies of approximately one hundred men. Each of the three commando companies has five specialized platoons, each with a unique specialty and ability that can be adapted to both the terrain and situation, depending on type action(s) required:
Command Platoons1st Platoon: vehicle insertion2nd Platoon: airborne insertion3rd Platoon: amphibious operations4th Platoon: operations in special geographic or meteorological surroundings (desert, jungle, mountain or arctic regions)5th Platoon: reconnaissance, intelligence operations and sniper/counter-sniper operations
There are four commando squads in every platoon. Each of these squads consists of four equally skilled members that have been hand-picked from the German Army into the platoon that best suits their abilities. Each squad member is specially trained as a weapons expert, medic, combat engineer, or communications expert, respectively. Additionally, some groups may contain other specialists, such as a heavy weapons or language expert.
Special Commando Company[edit]
The special commando company was established in 2004. This company is staffed with specially trained KSK personnel in the fields of Joint terminal attack controller, IED disposal or handling of military working dogs which may support operations of the commando companies as required. KSK personnel serving in the special commando company are commonly seasoned hands having previously served in one of the three commando companies.[14]
Special Reconnaissance Company[edit]
The Special Reconnaissance Company is staffed with KSK members and further personnel specialised in reconnaissance. This company may support operations of the three commando companies with reconnaissance and surveillance abilities, for instance with the use of UAVs. Female members may also operate as Female Engagement Teams if the task is required.[14]
Support forces[edit]
The HQ & Support Company is responsible for supply duties in Germany. For that, the unit is made up of:
HQ PlatoonMaterial PlatoonSupply EchelonCatering SectionTransport PlatoonAmmunition and Refueling Platoon
The Signal Company consists of three signal platoons.
While the HQ & Support Company supports the KSK in Germany the Support Company takes supply duties during operations. Therefore, the company is organized in:
Repair PlatoonSupply PlatoonParachute Equipment PlatoonInsignia[edit]Beret and badge[edit]
Members of the KSK wear maroon berets as a symbol of their roots in airborne units. A metal badge is worn which consists of a sword surrounded by oak leaves. The flag of the Federal Republic of Germany is depicted on the bottom of the sword.
Kommandoabzeichen[edit]
The Kommandoabzeichen (commando badge) is a cloth patch worn on the right pouch of the uniform. The commando badge's design is similar to the metal badge worn on the beret. It depicts a silver sword on light green background surrounded by oak leaves. The badge was permitted to be worn in 2000 by Federal President Johannes Rau.
Waffenfarbe[edit]
KSK units wear green as their Waffenfarbe, similar to infantry units. Before becoming an independent military force, the KSK was a part of infantry units.
Selection and training
Initially, only officers and non-commissioned officers of the Bundeswehr could apply for service with the KSK and the subsequent evaluation period. As a prerequisite for entry, the Bundeswehr Commando Course (Einzelkämpferlehrgang) must have been completed by the applicant. Since 2005, however, applications have also been opened to civilians and enlisted personnel who must complete an 18-month Long Range Surveillance training cycle before the intense KSK selection process begins.
The selection process for the combat positions is divided into two phases: a three-week-long physical and psychological training regimen (normally having a 40% pass rate), and later a three-month-long physical endurance phase (normally with an 8–10% pass rate). During latter phase, the KSK use the Black Forest as their proving grounds for prospective operators. In this time, candidates must undergo a grueling 90-hour cross-country run, followed by a three-week international Combat Survival Course at the German-led multinational Special Operations Training Center (formerly the International Long Range Reconnaissance School) in Pfullendorf.
Upon successful completion of the selection process, candidates may be allowed to start their 2–3-year training cycle with the KSK. This training includes roughly twenty courses at over seventeen schools worldwide: in Norway for Arctic terrain, Austria for mountainous terrain; El Paso, Texas, or Israel for desert and/or bush training; San Diego for amphibious operations; and Belize for jungle experience.
According to press releases from May 2008, the Bundeswehr aims to advance the attractiveness of service in the KSK to women.[15] This is partially because the KSK was previously unable to reach its targeted number of troops.[16] The KSK was no longer restricted to male troops after the Bundeswehr opened all units to women in 2001. As of 2021, women occupied auxiliary positions in KSK.[17]
The KSK is known to regularly participate in joint training exercises and personal exchange programs with SOFs from Allied nations which includes:[18][19]
Australian - 2nd Commando RegimentDanish - Jaeger CorpsBritish - Special Air ServiceCanadian - Joint Task Force 2Irish - Army Ranger WingPolish - JW GROMUnited States - Delta Force
Proof Shenna Vitelea Wrote This:
References[edit]^ Scholzen, Reinhard (2004). KSK – Das Kommando Spezialkräfte der Bundeswehr. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. p. 108. ISBN 3-613-02384-9.^ Jump up to:a b Käppner, Joachim (1 September 2021). "Ansgar Meyer übernimmt als KSK-Chef" [Ansgar Meyer takes over as KSK boss]. Süddeutsche Zeitung.^ The eight platoons operated jointly with US forces under the command of SACEUR, e.g. the German army's 2./S.W.120 stationed in Werlte and the US AWSCOM (Advanced Weapons Support Command/59th Ordnance Group). The nuclear weapons had yields between 40 kt and 200 kt.^ Neville, Leigh (2015). Special Forces in the War on Terror. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8.^ Bettini, Daniel (December 11, 2018). "Report: Far-right German commandos planned to kill politicians, immigrants". YnetNews.^ "Far-right extremism probe into elite German army unit opens". Deutsche Welle. 17 August 2017.^ Bennhold, Katrin (July 3, 2020). "As Neo-Nazis Seed Military Ranks, Germany Confronts 'an Enemy Within'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2020-08-19.^ "'Toxic leadership culture': Germany shakes up elite army force over far-right links". The Local. 30 June 2020.^ "Germany far right: Elite KSK commando force 'to be partially disbanded'". BBC News. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.^ "Vita Kommandeur KSK". Deutsches Heer (in German). Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.^ "Startseite Heer". Deutsches Heer (in German). Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2016.^ "Dag Baehr soll Chef der Eliteeinheit KSK werden". Die Welt (in German). 4 March 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2016.^ "German Special Forces unit to be dissolved, source says, after reported far-right links". CNN. 30 June 2020.^ Jump up to:a b "20 Jahre KSK". Europäische Sicherheit & Technik (in German). 14 September 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018.^ "Anti-Terror-Einsatz: Bundeswehr-Elitetruppe will Soldatinnen an die Front schicken" [Anti-terrorist mission: the Bundeswehr's elite unit wants to send women soldiers to the front]. Spiegel Online (in German). 20 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2016.^ "Frauen dürfen bald bei der KSK-Truppe Dienst tun" [Women will soon be allowed to serve in the KSK]. Die Welt (in German). 20 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2016.^ "Kontext: Soldatinnen geschichtlich und weltweit" [Context: Female soldiers historically and worldwide]. Bundeswehr (in German). Retrieved 18 September 2018.^ Webb, Brandon. "Germany's Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK)". SOFREP. Retrieved 2022-08-01.^ McAlister, Mitchell (2015-02-26). "An Unlikely Partnership: Australia's 2nd Commando Regiment and the DEA (Pt. 1)". SOFREP. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
