Striking the Proper Balance: S.S. Family Policy during the Second World War

Although the nominal purpose of the SS was to protect the Nazi party and its leader, under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, the organization acquired additional responsibilities as well as assumed other ambitions. One of those ambitions was to transform the SS into a family community (Sippengemeinschaft) which encompassed not only SS men, but their wives and children too. Many ideas shaped the formation of the family community, but none more so than eugenics. Himmler sought to reshape the organization by selectively employing the eugenic ideals which best suited his needs.

This process began in 1931 and it continued until the end of the Third Reich. Throughout this period, the ultimate goal of constructing the family community remained constant. However, the methods used to achieve this end shifted, especially following the start of the Second World War. With the war, Himmler had to strike a balance between his long-term goal of creating the ideal family community with the short-term necessity of having a viable military branch that could ensure victory for the Reich. This necessity for balance created challenges for Himmler and for other officials who managed family affairs in the SS. It required them to modify their policies in an attempt to achieve all of their family and military objectives. This paper will examine several instances of how family policies were modified during the war, the reasons behind their modification, and why such modifications contributed to the failure of the SS family community.