Leibstandarte ϟϟ - the Praetorian Guard - and ϟϟ-Verfügungstruppe

Führer und Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler at the Erntedankfest Bückeberge

Commander of Leibstandarte SS Sepp Dietrich during Op. Marita 

Leibstandarte SS at SS-Nachrichtenschule Metz after the Westfeldzug

On March 17 1933, SS-Gruppenführer Josef Sepp Dietrich was instructed to collect 117 reliable young SS men into a militarized SS bodyguard for the democratically elected Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler. This new unit was named the SS-Stabswache Berlin. It was the origin of what became the Leibstandarte SS. Eight of these 117 men went on to become regimental commanders in the Waffen-SS, and three attained division command. The Schutzstaffel, abbreviated SS or ϟϟ with stylized Armanen sig runes, now began to grow rapidly and were set up in major cities to act in the event of a Communist strike. The SS-Verfügungstruppe, abbreviated SS-VT, was formed on Sept. 24 1934. The unit consisted of military-trained men at the disposal of the Führer. It was made up of three regiments modeled on the infantry regiments of the German Army. In 1936, the Prussian officer SS-Brigadeführer Paul Hausser worked to transform the SS-VT into a credible military force that was a match for the regular army. The SS-VT received military – rather than political – training. They trained alongside Hitler's personal body guard the Leibstandarte SS. The Totenkopf formations were never part of the SS-VT. They belonged to the SS-Totenkopfverbände, another branch of the SS. By 1940 the SS-VT had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS. Its units would spearhead some of the most crucial battles of World War II while its men would shoulder some of the most difficult and daunting combat operations of all the units in the German military. According to their enemy's opinion and those of Wehrmacht's own commanders-in-chief the soldiers of the Waffen-SS ranged among the most effective and professional soldiers of all. Top image: Adolf Hitler at the Reich Harvest Thanksgiving Festival held on the Bückeberge south of Hamelin in 1937. The festival was part of a cycle of National-Socialist celebrations which included the annual party rally at Nürnberg, Hitler's birthday celebrations and other important events on the National-Socialist calendar. The photo was taken by Hitler's personal colour photographer Hugo Jäger. LIFE photo archive. Middle image: Commander of the Leibstandarte SS Sepp Dietrich here photographed by SS-KB Gunter d'Alquen. Dietrich is wearing the early style of gorget patches for SS-Obergruppenführer, which he was promoted to on July 1 1934. Dietrich loyalty to his elite Waffen-SS troops remained paramount throughout the war and beyond. He despised Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler with every fibre of his being whom he frequently referred to with barely concealed contempt as the Reichsheini. Dietrich even banned Himmler from the Leibstandarte SS barracks. U.S. NARA. Bottom image: LSSAH guard at SS-Nachrichtenschule in ancient Metz in Elsaß–Lothringen. Commons: Bundesarchiv.