2-611-934 - Keystone Archives/Heritage Images

Heinrich Himmler in early SS uniform (black tie and cap) with the rank of Oberführer, 1933. Himmler (1900-1945) took part in Adolf Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch in Munich in 1923. He joined the SS in 1925, becoming its leader, or Reichsführer, in 1929. He went on to become one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party and was responsible for overseeing the organisation and administration of the Holocaust. In late April 1945 as the Second World War neared its end in Europe, Himmler went behind Hitler's back in an attempt to open negotiations with the Western Allies. When Hitler disovered this he stripped Himmler of all his offices and ordered his arrest. He tried to evade capture by disguising himself after the War ended, but was captured by the British on 22 May 1945. The following day, before he could be interrogated, Himmler committed suicide by biting a potassium cyanide capsule.