Rudolf Hoess and AuschwitzAfter World War II, the world began to hear stories of atrocities and crimes committed by the Nazis against Jews and other enemies of the Nazis. The international community wanted answers and called for the persecution of criminals who participated in the murder of millions of people across Europe. The SS played a leading role in the Holocaust, being involved in the deaths of millions of innocent lives. Across Europe, concentration camps were established to hold Jews, political prisoners, prisoners of war, and enemies of the Third Reich. The largest camp in World War II was Auschwitz, under the command of SS Lieutenant Colonel Rudolf Hoess; Auschwitz became the scene of the largest massacre in world history. (The, 2005)The Schutzstaffel or SS was established in 1925 by the Nazi Party to protect Adolf Hitler and other important Nazi leaders. Heinrich Himmler was appointed leader of the SS by Hitler in 1929. The SS were racial elites deeply loyal to Hitler and the advancement of Germany. (SS, 2013) In order to become a member of the SS, all candidates had to undergo screenings based on their racial ancestry and support for the Nazi Party. In Nazi Germany, the SS was responsible for security identification of ethnicity, settlement and population policy, and intelligent collection and analysis. (SS, 2013) They were also responsible for the concentration camp system and the police force. In 1939, the SS assumed responsibility for "resolving" the Jewish question. (SS And The Holocaust, 2013) During the impending invasion of the Soviet Union, Hitler ordered the SS to implement colonization plans and population policy in the conquered Soviet territories. Special SS Einsatzgrupp... middle of paper ...... at Auschwitz on January 27, 1945. (Pietka, 2014) Commander Hoess took responsibility and promised Hitler that it was not his place to determine whether the extermination of the Jews was necessary or not. (Hoess, 144) Hoess claims that after the mass exterminations at Auschwitz began, he was no longer happy and dissatisfied with himself for his participation. (Hoess, 156) He initially managed to evade Allied capture, but British police arrested Hoess on March 11, 1946. Two days earlier, his poison vial had broken, preventing him from committing suicide. (Hoess, 173) He was then handed over to Polish authorities where he was tried for the murder of millions of people in Poland; Rudolf Hoess was executed on April 2, 1947. (History of Auschwitz, 2005) Hoess served three and a half years as commandant of Auschwitz and nine years in the SS camp service. (Hoes, 157)