Units and Commands of the Schutzstaffel Units and commands of the Schutzstaffel were organizational titles used by the SS to describe the many groups , forces , and formations that existed within the SS from its inception in 1923 to the eventual fall of Nazi Germany in 1945 . The SS unit nomenclature can be divided into several different types of organizations , mainly the early titles used by the SS , SS unit titles of the Allgemeine - SS , the military formation titles used by the Waffen - SS , titles of commands associated with the SS Security Police , and special units titles used by such SS organizations as the death squad units of the Einsatzgruppen . Early SS commands . 1920 - 1925 . From 1920 through 1925 , several early paramilitary terms were used to describe the various groups which would eventually become the SS . Among the most were : 1925 - 1929 . In September 1925 , the then fledgling SS established its first organizational structure , using the following titles : 1929 - 1931 . In January 1929 , after Heinrich Himmler took over leadership of the SS , old organizational titles were done away with and the following terms came into being : 1931 - 1933 . In 1931 , as SS membership began to surpass 100 , 000 , Himmler again reorganized the SS and created these new command titles : Allgemeine - SS commands . The core of the " General - SS " were the mustering formations spread throughout Germany , divided into several division sized formations and extending downwards into brigade , regiment , battalion , company , and squad like formations . Most of these formations were " part time " and mustered weekly or monthly without pay . The " Allgemeine - SS " used unique names for these formations which were different from standard military terms in use by the German military . Initially , General - SS formations were operated strictly in Germany and Austria but would later be formed in occupied countries during World War II . Most often , " Allgemeine - SS " units in occupied territories were " paper commands " , formed under the authority of an SS and Police Leader ( who would serve as a dual commander ) in order to give senior SS officers in occupation commands a command billet within the General - SS . Cavalry Commands . The " Allgemeine - SS " also formed several cavalry commands , which were mainly intended to attract German nobility into the ranks of the SS . These formations were little more than equestrian riding clubs and , by the start of World War II , the General - SS Cavalry had mostly ceased to exist except for a handful of members . The command names of the General - SS cavalry were modeled after those of the regular mustering SS formations and were separate from the military cavalry terms of the Waffen - SS . Waffen - SS commands . The Waffen - SS used standard Army military unit titles , in the following hierarchy . Senior SS commands . By the mid - 1930s , the SS leadership had grouped itself into two major senior commands which would last throughout World War II . The two most senior positions in the SS , apart from the Reichsfuhrer - SS , were the SS and Police Leader s and the SS Main Office Commanders . SS and Police Leaders . A war - time office which was granted considerable power was that of the SS and Police Leader . This unique position was a command authority of every SS unit in a given geographical area . SS and Police leaders had control over administrative SS commands , concentration camps , security forces , and ( as World War II progressed ) certain units of the Waffen - SS . There were three levels of SS and Police Leaders , these being : Main Office commands . There were eventually twelve main offices of the SS , these being : The heiraracy of command in the main offices was : Below the level of Department heads existed a plethora of administrative and bureaucratic titles to indicate positions as Assistant Department Heads , staff officers , and other clerical duties within the various main offices . Security Police commands . The offices of the Gestapo in major towns and cities were known as " Stapo - Leitstellen " . Smaller towns and some villages maintained smaller Gestapo offices known simply as " Stapostellen " . The " Sicherheitsdienst " was organized in a different manner , grouped in " SD - Abschnitte " with smaller " SD - Unterabschnitte " commands ( SD districts and sub - districts ) . Both the Gestapo , SD , and the similarly organized Kriminalpolizei were overseen by an SS Police official known as " Inspektor des Sicherheitspolizei und SD . " . In occupied territories , this commander was known by the alternate title " Befehlshaber " . Death ' s Head commands . The " Totenkopfverbande " maintained a hierarchy of Concentration Camp titles , in the following order : Special Unit commands . The " Einsatzgruppen " were regimental sized death squad s which were furtehr sub - divided into " Einsatzkommondos " which were company sized formations .