Literally “security section”, they were a paramilitary unit elite of the Nazi party. They were formed in 1925 by recruiting members of the SA (Sturmabteilung – paramilitary assault sections) as Adolf Hitler’s guard and to monitor NSDAP meetings. On January 6, 1929, Hitler appointed Heinrich Himmler as head of the SS. Before 1932, the SS wore the same uniform as the SA, except for a black tie and a black cap with a skull symbol (Totenkopf, death’s head). They later adopted a black uniform and, just before the war, a grey one. The German population admired the discipline of the SS, especially when compared to the SA, who sometimes indulged in random acts of violence. The SS rank system was unique because it didn’t copy the terms used in the Wehrmacht. At the beginning of the Second World War, the number of its members rose to 250.000 and the Waffen-SS (SS fighters) were formed in December 1940 to fight alongside the Wehrmacht, the German regular army. The SS also received control of the Gestapo in 1936.
The Italian SS was formed in Italy bringing together fanatical fascists commanded by German officers, often protagonists of raids against partisan groups.