Let´s put a few rumors and missconceptions to bed concerning this Topic and the wandering of the thread shall we
( You might want to check the Military Trivia thread here in the Forum, all kinds of good and funny facts there. )
First, against all popular believe, the SS was not based on National or Aryian Purity, there were more non-germans than germans ( most being Poles ). The dedication of the individual group or soldier was the determining factor in being assigned to the SS. You could loosly compare the SS with any large military organization that is ready and willing to give their all reguardless of cost, they were that dedicated.
The sick individuals that were accountable for all the war crimes of that era were the persons that could not or would not stand for their own individual principles and beliefs, following the motto `` Better to be a sheep and live, than a Wolf and risk it all ´´.
For those looking for some really interesting reading from Rommel, check out
Attacks
Infantry Attacks
Rommell and his Art of War : In his own words.
The Rommel Papers
Erin Rommel, Des Fuhres General ( The Leaders General )( Might be hard to find in English, fantastic book by the way ),
These are all books written by Rommel, or by persons that had direct contact, except for the Rommel Papers. Then do a comparison to Mein Krampf ( My Cramp )