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	The '''Waffen-SS''' ("Armed Protective Squadron") was the combat arm of the ]. Headed by ] who was ranked ] (National Leader of the SS), the Waffen-SS saw action throughout the Second World War.

			'''Clive Bullshite''' (born ]) is an award winning radio talk show host on ] in ], ]. He usually occupies the "time-for-bed" slot, currently 8 p.m. - 12 a.m, Monday to Thursdays and was recently voted one of the most powerful people in Radio by the Radio Times. His laid-back approach is the antithesis of the opinionated, radical radio host so typical of ].
	After humble beginnings as a protection unit for the ] leadership, the Waffen-SS eventually grew into a force of thirty-eight combat ] comprising over 950,000 men, and including a number of elite units. In the ], the Waffen-SS was condemned as part of a ] due to overwhelming participation in atrocities, and Waffen-SS veterans were denied many of the rights afforded other German combat ]. Conscripts, however, were exempted from that judgment, as many of them were forced to join the organisation by German authorities.

			Clive was educated at ] in ], South East London between 1970-77. He has a degree in Educational Broadcasting from the University of London and a distinction in Radio Journalism from The National Broadcasting School.
	==Early history; LSSAH, SS-VT==

			In June 2005, the ] published a list of the 40 "most sexy people on radio". A panel of radio experts was polled rate their favourite, and most influential, broadcasters. Clive Bull came in at 19, on a list dominated by BBC national radio presenters. "''A brilliant phone-in host who knows that the way to make captivating talk radio is not to rant or rage, but to create a separate world, away from the nonsense of current affairs - then invite his listeners into it. His show is the most listened-to night-time programme in London and is an understated joy.''"
	The original cadre of the Waffen-SS came from the ] and the ] along with various right-wing ] formations. Formed at the instigation of Heinrich Himmler, the ] was the first formation of what was to become the Waffen-SS. When the ] was rendered powerless in the ], many ex-SA men requested transfer to the SS, swelling its ranks and resulting in the formation of several new units including the ] (to become the ]) and the ] (to become the ] and also the ] guard unit).

			== LBC radio show ==
	The majority of the Waffen-SS men originally received second rate weapons and equipment with many formations receiving ] and ] weapons and equipment. With the exception of a select few of the 'Germanic' SS Divisions, this policy was continued throughout the war. The majority of the best equipment went to the ]'s elite divisions (] and ])

			Clive Bull entices his callers into a cosy familiarity so that the audience feels it is listening in to a private conversation by masterbating in the studio with Helen Taylor. The discussions tend to focus around two or three topics each evening based loosely upon what is in the news, or what has interested or amused Clive. The discussions are known more for their unintended (by the caller) entertainment value than for their intellectual content. His producer, Bob "Nice" Johnson, plays an essential role in the show. He often enhances the quality of the calls by providing musical accompaniment, often the theme from Captain Pugwash. From time to time, he leaves his desk to collect a "number 94" for Clive, and also to go to the toilet. This sometimes leads to Clive answering calls directly, with no filtering. The result of this is occasionally lunatics making cow noises. Nevertheless, Bob's filtering has previously allowed through callers of the lunatic persuasion, such as "William from Sutton", a ] impersonator, who appeared over ten times. Clive has won several awards including a bronze ].
	The premier waffen-SS divisions began to receive standard equipment once they proved themselves in the Eastern front and were upgraded to panzergrenadier and later panzer divisions. The remainder of the SS Divisions made do with either standard or second rate equipment.

			Regular callers appear to believe that they possess special insights into solving the problems of society, the best known of these being the infamous Rosemary from Golders Green. Surprisingly few, however, ring up to give a political speech. This may be due to Clive Bull's disarming style which includes asking the next caller a question based upon what a previous caller said. For example, if someone rings in to say "Failed asylum seekers should be thrown out of the country" they are likely to be asked a docile question such as "Have you ever picked up a penny in the street?". By the time they have had this discussion, the wind has been taken out of their sails. A surprisingly high proportion of callers appear to be ]s who may be waiting for a fare or actually have a fare in the cab. Listeners may then be treated to a discussion about where the cab dropped off the passenger.
	==Concept, training==
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	SS combat training consisted primarily of several months of intensive ] with three objectives; ], ] proficiency and ]. The training was so intensive that one in three potentials failed to pass the course. After this basic training, the recruits would be sent to specialist schools (see ]) where they received further training in their chosen combat arm. As the war progressed and replacements were required more frequently, particularly after the expansion of the Waffen-SS following the success of the ] at Kharkov, the intensity of the training was relaxed somewhat.

			Clive Bull was the overnight phone-in host when ] ] made a series of calls using the pseudonym "Sven from Swiss Cottage". The ] nature of these calls has been recorded in "''Tragically I Was An Only Twin''", a collection of his writings.
	For officers, the focus was on leadership and combat command, usually at the ] at ]. The process tended to produce outstanding soldiers and officers, and many of the basic tenets of Waffen-SS training are still used by many armed forces today. A strong emphasis was placed on creating a bond between the officers and men, and officer candidates were made to pass through basic training alongside the enlisted candidates. This created a mutual trust and respect between the officers and men, and meant that the relationship between these groups was very relaxed, unlike the ] (German Army), where strict discipline and a policy of separation between the officers and enlisted men existed.

			Peter Cook's former neighbour ] remains a regular caller (except during elections) with news of his "political" activity.
	While it may be difficult now to understand why anyone would volunteer for the Waffen-SS, during the war the organisation was presented as a multinational force protecting Europe from the evils of Communism (see ]). In addition, training emphasised unit cohesion and mutual respect between officers and men, rather than strict discipline. In the Waffen-SS, it was not a requirement to salute officers and a more casual salute was adopted (the right arm raised vertically from the elbow - a relaxed version of the ''Heil'' salute. This salute is portrayed in many war films). Added to this, the practice of addressing a superior as ''Herr'' ("Sir") was also forbidden, with everyone up to Himmler being addressed simply by their rank

			] once phoned in to take part in a talent contest as himself. He came seventh.
	==Trial by fire==

			== External links ==
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	As the outbreak of war neared, Himmler ordered the formation of several combat formations from the ''SS-Standartes'' (units of ] size). The resulting three formations (the LSSAH, SS-VT and SS-TV) took place in the ] as well as ]. During the campaign in the West, both the ''Totenkopf'' and ''LSSAH'' were implicated in atrocities. The overall performance of the Waffen-SS had been mediocre during these campaigns.
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	The poor initial performance of the Waffen-SS units was mainly due to the emphasis on political indoctrination rather than proper military training before the war. This was largely due to the shortage of experienced ]s, who preferred to stay with the regular army. Despite this, the experience gained from the Polish, French and Balkan campaigns and the peculiarly egalitarian form of training soon turned Waffen-SS units into elite formations.
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	On several occasions, the Waffen-SS was criticised by Heer commanders for their reckless disregard for casualties while taking or holding objectives (See ''Totenkopf's'' actions during the early months of the Russian Campaign). However, the Waffen-SS divisions eventually proved themselves to a skeptical Heer as capable soldiers, although there were exceptions such as ] rout from the town of ] during its first engagement in ].
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	The Waffen-SS truly proved their worth during the ], where the ] under SS-Brigadeführer ] recaptured the city and blunted the Soviet offensive, saving the forces of ] ] from being cut off and destroyed.

	In Mid 1943, the II.SS-Panzerkorps took part in ] and the ''LSSAH'', ''Das Reich'' and ''Totenkopf'' (all now ] divisions) took part in the immense armour battles near ] on the southern flank of the ] ].

	As the fronts began to crumble, the Waffen-SS divisions began increasingly to be used in a "fire-brigade" role. Held back behind the line, the divisions would be committed to counter enemy breakthroughs. As the success of the divisions increased, so too did the difficulty of the missions assigned them. In the closing months of the war, Waffen-SS formations were assigned impossible missions by Hitler, who saw them as not only exceptionally effective in combat, but also politically reliable. The ] operations to relieve ] and the ] operation to recapture the Hungarian oilfields were doomed to defeat from the beginning. After the failure of ''Frühlingserwachen'', Hitler proclaimed that the Waffen-SS had let him down, and ordered the removal of honorary cuff-titles. The commander of ], SS-Oberstgruppenführer ], was disgusted by the order and did not pass it on to his troops.

	== ''Classic'' SS divisions ==

	As the Waffen-SS Order of Battle expanded, several divisions were seen as being elite. These divisions were characterised by extremely high unit morale and combat ability, as well as commitment to the ] and the defense of the ]. They also frequently benefited from the best available equipment.

	These divisions are referred to as the ''classic'' Waffen-SS divisions, and they include the ''LSSAH'', ''Das Reich'', ''Totenkopf'', the multi-national ], the ] and ], and the ]. While several other formations (e.g. the ] and ] divisions) could also be considered elite, they are generally not referred to as ''classic'' SS Divisions.

	In spite of heavy casualties, many of the Waffen-SS units retained their reputations as crack formations until the end of the War, though the quality of formations raised late in the war was often execrable, and some of the ''Freiwillige'' troops were prone to mutiny (see, for instance, ] ).

	==Foreign volunteers and conscripts==

	Himmler, wishing to expand the Waffen-SS, advocated the idea of SS controlled ]. The Reichsführer, with his penchant for medieval lore, envisioned a united european ']', fighting to save old Europe from the 'Godless bolshevik hordes'. While volunteers from regions which had been declared ] were approved almost instantly, Himmler eagerly pressed for the creation of more and more foreign units.

	In late 1940, the creation of a multinational SS division, the ], was authorised. Command of the division was given to SS-Brigadeführer ]. Steiner immersed himself in the organisation of the volunteer division, soon becoming a strong advocate for an increased number of foreign units. The ''Wiking'' was committed to combat several days after the launch of ], proving itself an impressive fighting unit.

	Soon Danish, ], Armenian, Flemish, Norwegian, Finnish and Dutch ''Freiwilligen'' (volunteer) formations were committed to combat, gradually proving their worth.

	Hitler however, was hesitant to allow foreign volunteers to be formed into formations based on their ethnicity, preferring that they be absorbed into multi-national divisions. Hitler feared that unless the foreign recruits were ''committed to the idea of a united Germania'', then their reasons for fighting were suspect, and could damage the German cause.

	Himmler was allowed to create his new formations, but they were to be commanded by German officers and ]. Beginning in 1942-43, several new formations were formed from ], ], ] and even ]. The Reichsführer had sidestepped the race laws by ordering that Waffen-SS units formed with men from non-Aryan backgrounds were to be designated ''division der SS'' (or Division of the SS) rather than SS Division. The wearing of the SS ] on the collar was forbidden, with several of these formations wearing a national insignia instead.

	All non-germanic officers and men in these units had their rank prefix changed from ''SS'' to ''Waffen'' (e.g. a Latvian ''Hauptscharführer'' would be referred to as a ''Waffen-Hauptscharführer'' rather than ''SS-Hauptscharführer''). An example of a division der SS is the Estonian ]. The combat ability of the divisions ''der SS'' varied greatly, with the Latvian, French and Estonian formations perfoming exceptionally and the Croatian and Albanian units perfoming poorly.

	While many adventurers and idealists joined the SS as part of the fight against communism, many of the later recruits joined or were conscripted for different reasons. For example, Dutchmen who joined the ] were granted exemption from forced labour and provided with food, pay and accommodation. Recruits who joined for such reasons rarely proved good soldiers, and several units composed of such ''volunteers'' were involved in atrocities.

	Towards the end of 1943, it became apparent that numbers of volunteer recruits were inadequate to meet the needs of the German military, so conscription was introduced. The Estonian ] is an example of such a conscript formation, which proved to be outstanding soldiers with an unblemished record.

	Not satisfied with the growing number of volunteer formations, Himmler sought to gain control of all volunteer forces serving alongside Germany. This put the SS at odds with the ], as several volunteer units had been placed under Heer control (e.g. volunteers of the Spanish ]). Despite this, Himmler constantly campaigned to have all foreign volunteers fall under the SS banner. In several cases, like the ] and the ] he was successful, and by the last year of the war, most foreign volunteers units did fall under SS command.

	While several volunteer units performed poorly in combat, the majority acquitted themselves well. French and Spanish SS volunteers, along with remnants of the ] formed the final defence of the ''Reichstag'' in 1945.

	After the surrender, many volunteers were tried and imprisoned by their countries. In several cases, volunteers were executed. Those volunteers from the ] and ] could at best look forward to years spent in the ]. To avoid this, many ex-volunteers from these regions joined underground resistance groups (see ]) which were engaged fighting the Soviets until the 1950s.

	Many other Waffen-SS volunteers, including many ''Wiking'' veterans, avoided punishment by joining the ], and many ex-SS men fought and died at the ] in 1954. Helped by ] network, Wallon volunteer leader ] escaped to Spain, where, despite being sentenced to death ''in absentia'' by the Belgian authorities, he lived in comfortable exile until his death in ]. ], the leader of the ], was tried and convicted of ] by the British government. He was executed in December 1945.

	In ] and ], the majority of Waffen SS veterans were conscripts who were at least partly considered freedom fighters. In an April 13, 1950 message from the U.S. High Commision in Germany (HICOG), signed by General Frank McCloy to the Secretary of State, clarified the US position on the "Baltic Legions": they were not to be seen as "movements", "volunteer", or "SS". In short, they were not given the training, indoctrination, and induction normally given to SS members. Subsequently the US Displaced Persons Commission in September 1950 declared that
	:''The Baltic Waffen SS Units (Baltic Legions) are to be considered as separate and distinct in purpose, ideology, activities, and qualifications for membership from the German SS, and therefore the Commission holds them not to be a movement hostile to the Government of the United States.''
	Still, much debate is continuing on this issue and because of general condamnation of ] regime across the globe, official statements of the position of Estonian and Latvian Waffen SS veterans remain ambigous. The Latvian parliament ] declared "the day of the Legion" (16 ]) as a national holiday, but under pressure from the ], reversed its decision in ].

	Overall, around 60% of Waffen-SS members were non-German

	==War crimes and atrocities==

	].]]

	Several formations within the Waffen-SS were proven to have committed ]s, most notoriously at ], ] and in the ]. Some additional allegations have never been substantiated as many were intended to link the Waffen-SS to crimes committed by the ''Allgemeine-SS'' (political SS).

	Perhaps the most infamous of all SS formations were the ''Dirlewanger'' and ''Kaminski'' Brigades (later to become the ] and ] respectively. These formations, composed mostly of ex-], released criminals and Russian ] and commanded by the fanatical Nazis ] and ], were engaged in numerous atrocities throughout their existence. After their actions in putting down the ], Heer complaints resulted in these units being dissolved and several members (including Kaminski) being tried and executed for their role in several incidents.

	Similarly, the ] has a "combat" record riddled with atrocities as well as abysmal conduct when faced with front line service.

	While divisions like the ''Nordland'' and ''Nord'' have virtually spotless records, most Waffen-SS divisions were involved in at least some questionable actions. The debate over the culpability of the organisation is the center of much ] thinking.

	On one end of the debate, in addition to documented atrocities, certain Waffen-SS units did assist in rounding up Eastern European Jewry for deportation, ] personnel convalesced at concentration camps by serving routine guard duties, and utilised ''Scorched-earth'' tactics during anti-partisan operations.

	On the other end, some assert that with over 900,000 men serving in its ranks from 15 nationalities, the Waffen-SS was a pan-European military formation embedded with a socio-political ideology, similar in composition to the 19th-century ] forces or even modern-day ] military organization.

	Regardless of the record of individual combat units within the Waffen-SS, the entire organisation was declared a criminal organisation by the ] during the ], except conscripts, who were exempted from that judgment due to being forcibly mobilised. The actions of Himmler and the Nazi hierarchy in attaching the SS combat divisions to the same overall command of as the ], ] and ] meant that such a decision was inevitable.

	==See also==
	* ] (with links to articles on individual units)
	* ]
	* ]

	==References==
	*{{Book reference \| Author=Davies, W.J.K. \| Title=German Army Handbook 1939-1945 \| Publisher=Second U.S. Edition. New York: Arco Publishing, Inc. \| Year=1981 \| ID=ISBN 0-668-04291-5}}
	*{{Book reference \| Author=Munoz, Antonio J. \| Title= Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS\| Publisher=Axis Europa, Inc. \| Year= 1991\| ID=ISBN 0739408178}}
	*{{Book reference \| Author= Quarrie, Bruce \| Title=Hitler's Samurai: The Waffen-SS in Action \| Publisher=Arco Pub. 161 pp. \| Year=1983 \| ID=ISBN 0668058056}}
	*{{Book reference \| Author=Williamson, Gordon \| Title=Loyalty is my Honor \| Publisher=Motorbooks International. 192 pp. \| Year= 1995\| ID=ISBN 0760300127}}

	==External links==
	* – By Marcus Wendel and contributors;  site also contains an apolitical forum about the Axis nations
	* – By Jason Pipes, ]/]; research on the German armed forces 1918–1945
	* – By Thomas Wilhelm (webmaster) et.al.; a site exploring the combat role of the Waffen-SS in WWII; also includes forum
	* – Translated from the German WWII-era original (''Germanische Freiwillige im Osten'')
	* – From Brad Turner's website kamouflage.net; also includes similar information for ''Heer'', ''Luftwaffe''
	* (U.S. WWII manual, March 1945)

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Revision as of 14:36, 15 December 2005

File:Clive Bull.jpg

Clive Bull promotional photo, no rights reserved

Clive Bullshite (born 1959) is an award winning radio talk show host on LBC in London, England. He usually occupies the "time-for-bed" slot, currently 8 p.m. - 12 a.m, Monday to Thursdays and was recently voted one of the most powerful people in Radio by the Radio Times. His laid-back approach is the antithesis of the opinionated, radical radio host so typical of talk radio.

Clive was educated at Dulwich College in Dulwich, South East London between 1970-77. He has a degree in Educational Broadcasting from the University of London and a distinction in Radio Journalism from The National Broadcasting School.

In June 2005, the Radio Times published a list of the 40 "most sexy people on radio". A panel of radio experts was polled rate their favourite, and most influential, broadcasters. Clive Bull came in at 19, on a list dominated by BBC national radio presenters. "A brilliant phone-in host who knows that the way to make captivating talk radio is not to rant or rage, but to create a separate world, away from the nonsense of current affairs - then invite his listeners into it. His show is the most listened-to night-time programme in London and is an understated joy."

LBC radio show

Clive Bull entices his callers into a cosy familiarity so that the audience feels it is listening in to a private conversation by masterbating in the studio with Helen Taylor. The discussions tend to focus around two or three topics each evening based loosely upon what is in the news, or what has interested or amused Clive. The discussions are known more for their unintended (by the caller) entertainment value than for their intellectual content. His producer, Bob "Nice" Johnson, plays an essential role in the show. He often enhances the quality of the calls by providing musical accompaniment, often the theme from Captain Pugwash. From time to time, he leaves his desk to collect a "number 94" for Clive, and also to go to the toilet. This sometimes leads to Clive answering calls directly, with no filtering. The result of this is occasionally lunatics making cow noises. Nevertheless, Bob's filtering has previously allowed through callers of the lunatic persuasion, such as "William from Sutton", a William Hague impersonator, who appeared over ten times. Clive has won several awards including a bronze Sony Radio Award.

Regular callers appear to believe that they possess special insights into solving the problems of society, the best known of these being the infamous Rosemary from Golders Green. Surprisingly few, however, ring up to give a political speech. This may be due to Clive Bull's disarming style which includes asking the next caller a question based upon what a previous caller said. For example, if someone rings in to say "Failed asylum seekers should be thrown out of the country" they are likely to be asked a docile question such as "Have you ever picked up a penny in the street?". By the time they have had this discussion, the wind has been taken out of their sails. A surprisingly high proportion of callers appear to be cab drivers who may be waiting for a fare or actually have a fare in the cab. Listeners may then be treated to a discussion about where the cab dropped off the passenger.

Clive Bull was the overnight phone-in host when satirist Peter Cook made a series of calls using the pseudonym "Sven from Swiss Cottage". The surreal nature of these calls has been recorded in "Tragically I Was An Only Twin", a collection of his writings.

Peter Cook's former neighbour Rainbow George Weiss remains a regular caller (except during elections) with news of his "political" activity.

Michael Barrymore once phoned in to take part in a talent contest as himself. He came seventh.

External links

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