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Quiz about Soldiers Like Other Soldiers The Waffen SS

Soldiers Like Other Soldiers? The Waffen SS Quiz

On the witness stand at Nuremberg Paul Hausser said, 'They were soldiers like other soldiers'. They were capable of incredible courage but also committed horrendous atrocities. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by beterave. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
beterave

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
336,561

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
582

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Question 1 of 10

1. Waffen SS men were sometimes called 'asphalt soldiers' by the Wehrmacht. Why was that? Hint

they were thugs

because of the black uniforms

the Wehrmacht thought they lacked real martial skills

because of their racial bias

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What was the major reason traditional German officers in the Wehrmacht despised Waffen SS officers? Hint

the black uniforms

class and traditions

politics and favoritism

promotions and influence

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Early in the war, what one item identified the Waffen SS in the field? Hint

their weapons

their tactics

their elan

their uniform

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The Waffen SS began to expand by using foreign volunteers. What was the makeup of the Panzer division Wiking (Viking)? Hint

Danish and Norwegian

Frenchmen and Alsatians

Swedes

Dutch and Belgian

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Where did the Waffen SS commit the majority of their war crimes? Hint

Soviet Union

France

Italy

Greece

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. As the war went on, how did the Waffen SS get 'other German volunteers'? Hint

they offered 'bonuses'

they took them from the army

they drafted them

they refused to use foreign troops

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Who officially encouraged the Dirlewanger Brigade to behave so atrociously during the Warsaw Uprising? Hint

Himmler

they did not need encouragement

Dirlwanger

General Stroop

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. The 12th SS Panzer Division was composed entirely of 17-18 year old boys who had never seen combat. How long did it take them to start committing atrocities in Normandy? Hint

two weeks

a few hours

one day

four days

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The 11th SS Nordland was another formation made up of foreign volunteers. What made this formation different from the previous formations? Hint

it received better tanks

it was staffed by foreign officers

the racial doctrines were waived

it used its own foreign weapons

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. What was really strange about the 13th SS (Handshar) division? Hint

both Christians and Jews served in the division

both Nazis and Fascist served in the division

both Nazis and Communists served in the division

both Christians and Muslims served in the division

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Waffen SS men were sometimes called 'asphalt soldiers' by the Wehrmacht. Why was that?

Answer: the Wehrmacht thought they lacked real martial skills

Wehrmacht soldiers called the Waffen SS men 'asphalt soldiers' as a slight; it implied they were only good for parades on asphalt and lacked any real skill as soldiers.

2. What was the major reason traditional German officers in the Wehrmacht despised Waffen SS officers?

Answer: class and traditions

The major reason traditional German officers disliked Waffen SS officers were class and tradition. Prussian style German officers tended to be better educated and well versed in military theory and tactics. Whereas SS officers generally lacked both of these attributes. They were also considered 'lower class'.

In fact, the SS included a number of highly educated men. For example, SS-Gruppenf�hrer Otto Rasch, the original commanding officer of one of the 'Einsatzgruppen' (mobile killing units) on the Soviet Front had two doctorates! The mobile killing units played a key part in carrying out the Holocaust on Soviet territory behind German lines.

3. Early in the war, what one item identified the Waffen SS in the field?

Answer: their uniform

Early in the war, the Waffen SS were the only formations that wore a camouflage smock and helmet cover over the field grey uniform.

4. The Waffen SS began to expand by using foreign volunteers. What was the makeup of the Panzer division Wiking (Viking)?

Answer: Danish and Norwegian

The 5th SS Panzer Division (Viking) was made up of Danes and Norwegians. This formation served on the Eastern Front until the end of the war.

5. Where did the Waffen SS commit the majority of their war crimes?

Answer: Soviet Union

The Waffen SS committed the majority of its war crimes on the Eastern Front fighting against the Soviet Union. This included the large-scale shooting of prisoners of war as well as civilians.

6. As the war went on, how did the Waffen SS get 'other German volunteers'?

Answer: they drafted them

As the war went on and more manpower was needed, they simply drafted Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans) from Axis allied and some of the occupied countries. These also included many foreign volunteers who were not ethnically German.

The SS acquired a kind of 'Foreign Legion' partly because the Wehrmacht only accepted German citizens.

7. Who officially encouraged the Dirlewanger Brigade to behave so atrociously during the Warsaw Uprising?

Answer: Himmler

Officially it was Himmler himself who encouraged them to act without restraint and to use whatever brutality necessary. This probably wasn't necessary because they were infamous for their atrocious behaviour and contained many criminals. Dirlewanger (1895-1945) himself was, among other things, a serial rapist.

8. The 12th SS Panzer Division was composed entirely of 17-18 year old boys who had never seen combat. How long did it take them to start committing atrocities in Normandy?

Answer: a few hours

The 12th SS Panzer arrived at the front on the 7th of June 1944. That very same day they were involved in the massacre of Canadian prisoners at Ardennes Abbey. Note: although they were untried youth, their officers and NCOs were veterans drawn from the Leibstandarte; veterans of the Eastern Front where executing prisoners was commonplace. Nevertheless, some of the officers and NCOs did try to restrain these raw recruits.

9. The 11th SS Nordland was another formation made up of foreign volunteers. What made this formation different from the previous formations?

Answer: it was staffed by foreign officers

The 11th SS Nordland was staffed completely by non-Germanic officers and NCOs. This was a practice not used in the previous foreign SS formations. The formation served the entire war on the Eastern Front and was destroyed in the battle for Berlin.

10. What was really strange about the 13th SS (Handshar) division?

Answer: both Christians and Muslims served in the division

Christians - Volksdeutsche and Croats - as well as Muslims from Bosnia and Herzgovina served together in the division. The unit was formed to fight Tito's partisans in Yugoslavia.

Source: Author beterave

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