Oskar Dirlewanger

Oskar Paul Dirlewanger (26 September 1895 – c. 7 June 1945) was a German military officer, mass murderer and war criminal. He commanded the Dirlewanger Brigade, a penal military unit of the Waffen-SS which served in World War II. Dirlewanger's unit is often considered the most notorious Waffen-SS unit, committing some of the conflict's worst atrocities, with Dirlewanger himself regarded as perhaps Nazi Germany's "most extreme executioner", engaging in frequent acts of violence, rape, and murder. He died after the war while in Allied custody. Dirlewanger had an impressive career as a junior officer during World War I. He fought in the post-World War I conflicts in Germany as a minor commander in the Freikorps militia movement, with the troops he led then also characterized by excessive violence, and participated in the Spanish Civil War. Through his service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War, he was politically rehabilitated despite his criminal record, allowing his return to favor within the Nazi Party. He was a habitual offender, convicted in interwar Germany for illegal weapons possession and a sexual offense involving a minor; the latter conviction was annulled in 1940. During World War II, he was appointed and headed a special Waffen-SS unit that was officially named after him and was composed for the most part of conscripted convicts and other prisoners. Serving mostly in Poland and Belarus, he has been closely linked to many atrocities, being responsible for the deaths of at least tens of thousands. In Belarus alone, Dirlewanger may have been responsible for around 120,000 killed and 200 villages destroyed. In Warsaw, he was responsible for up to 30,000 killed, most of them non-combatants. His methods included rape and torture, and he personally kept numerous women as his sex slaves. He also repeatedly engaged in systematic...