Full Description
The Leibstandarte was Adolf Hitler's personal Bodyguard Regiment, and independently participated in combat during the Invasion of Poland. By the end of World War II it had been increased in size from a regiment to a Panzer division. The elite division was a component of the Waffen-SS which was found guilty of war crimes in the Nuremberg Trials.
In the earliest days of the NSDAP, it was realized by the leaders that bodyguard units composed of trustworthy and loyal men would be a wise development. In 1934, by order of Himmler, the initials"SS" were added to the Leibstandarte's title, thus becoming the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Then, in late June of 1934, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was called into serious action for the first time. As a result of a the political situation that had been growing within the NSDAP over Ernst Röhm and his stated desire for a second revolution in Germany, a move was made to remove the problematic heads of the SA. This action culminated in what is known as Die Röhm Affäre and the Night of the Long Knives.
The 2 volume Dictionnaire de la Leibstandarte offers detailed portraits and biographies of the principal members of Hitler's Leibstandarte. Compiled together for the first time, the 600 photographs provide rare images of the men who served in this army, along with the uniforms they wore and related objects in their possession.
