As Adolf Hitler consolidated his power, he surrounded himself with a group of loyal and fanatical followers who would become the leaders of Nazi Germany. Prominent among them were Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Göring, a decorated World War I flying ace, was the commander of the Luftwaffe (air force) and one of Hitler's closest confidants. Himmler, the head of the SS (Schutzstaffel, or "Protection Squadron"), was responsible for the implementation of the Holocaust and other atrocities carried out by the Nazi regime. Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda, was a master of mass manipulation and used his skills to whip up support for Hitler and promote the Nazi ideology. Ribbentrop, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, played a key role in securing alliances with other countries and expanding Germany's sphere of influence. These men, along with many others, formed the core of the Nazi leadership and were instrumental in carrying out Hitler's genocidal and expansionist policies.
