[149] Whereas in France, the number of members in the Carlingue (French Gestapo) who worked on behalf of the Nazis was upwards of 30,000 to 32,000; they conducted operations nearly indistinguishable from their German equivalents. Post [99] Personnel assigned to these auxiliary duties were often removed from the Gestapo chain of command and fell under the authority of branches of the SS. by Peter J. Hertel 16 Aug 2002, 05:52, Return to The Phil Nix SS & Polizei section. Copyright Historyplex & Buzzle.com, Inc. As the war progressed, however, the number of people working for the Gestapo increased to approximately 150,000 men. [118] Many of the local offices were understaffed and overworked, struggling with the paper load caused by so many denunciations. Varying degrees of pacification and police enforcement measures were necessary in each place, dependent on how cooperative or resistant the locals were to Nazi mandates and racial policies. [134] As historian Eric Johnson remarked, "The Nazi terror was selective terror", with its focus upon political opponents, ideological dissenters (clergy and religious organisations), career criminals, the Sinti and Roma population, handicapped persons, homosexuals and above all, upon the Jews. We hope the above sections have made the identification of all three organizations clearer. It ransacked homes, tortured people, deported them to concentration camps, and also killed them for no apparent reason. The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944. The name Gestapo is an abbreviation for its official German name "Geheime Staatspolizei." The direct English translation is "Secret State Police." The Gestapo was not the first political police force in German history. [117] The Gestapoat timeswas overwhelmed with denunciations and most of its time was spent sorting out the credible from the less credible denunciations. [109], Whether trained as police originally or not, Gestapo agents themselves were shaped by their socio-political environment. Hitler vehemently rejected the centuries' old Habsburg pluralist principles of "live and let live" with regard to ethnic groups, peoples, minorities, religions, cultures and languages. In addition, political prisoners throughout Germanyand from 1941, throughout the occupied territories under the Night and Fog Decree (German: Nacht und Nebel)simply disappeared while in Gestapo custody. The Best History Museums to Virtually Tour During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Virtual Reality Experiences That Let You See History Up Close, The Most Accurate Movies Based on History Worth Seeing, Drive Thru History: A Brief Guide to the Online Courses, History of Mobile Phones: From Bulky to Ubiquitous, History of Forensic Science: From the Ancients to the Present, Tom Holland Historian: Major Works of the BBC Presenter, Arresting anyone who is a threat to the Nazi regime, Jews, other colored people, Complete authority of concentration camps, Defend Nazi rallies, disrupt political opponents, Policemen, ex-criminals, not necessarily Nazis, Strictly anti-Jewish, with a pure Aryan ancestry. What Is The Difference Between The SD And The Gestapo? This led to corresponding arrests, being sent to concentration camps and execution. [131] Failing that, torture and planting evidence were common methods of resolving a case, especially if the case concerned someone Jewish. As the years progressed, the SA began to be overshadowed by the SS and the Gestapo. More than that, the Anglo-American common language and capital interests kept Stalin at a distance since he felt the other Allied powers were hoping the fascists and Communists would destroy one another. [33] After Heydrich's 1942 assassination, Himmler assumed the leadership of the RSHA until January 1943, when Ernst Kaltenbrunner was appointed chief. [87] Describing the activities of the organisation, Gring boasted about the utter ruthlessness required for Germany's recovery, the establishment of concentration camps for that purpose, and even went on to claim that excesses were committed in the beginning, recounting how beatings took place here and there. After another two or three years in that grade, the female detective could advance to Kriminalobersekretrin. However, certain Polish information about the movement of German police and SS units to the East during 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union was similar to information British intelligence secretly obtained through intercepting and decoding German police and SS messages sent by radio telegraphy. To claim that Josef Jakobs was a "Gestapo agent" is to fail to understand the difference between the Secret State Police and the Army. Rhms leadership and not-so-secret desire of merging with the Army made many senior Nazi officials feel threatened. This prompted Winston Churchill to ban any further contact with the German opposition. [4] "Selective terror" by the Gestapo, as mentioned by Johnson, is also supported by historian Richard Evans who states that, "Violence and intimidation rarely touched the lives of most ordinary Germans. [70], Between 1934 and 1938, opponents of the Nazi regime and their fellow travellers began to emerge. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These included the non-violent resistance of Hans and Sophie Scholl, two leaders of the White Rose student group. A similar co-ordination existed in the local offices. [9], The first commander of the Gestapo was Rudolf Diels, a protg of Gring. The original foundation date of the Gestapo can be traced back in April 1933 whereas the foundation date of the SS is originally on 1923. [119] Gellately has also suggested that the Gestapo was "a reactive organisationconstructed within German society and whose functioning was structurally dependent on the continuing co-operation of German citizens". [75], Early efforts to resist the Nazis with aid from abroad were hindered when the opposition's peace feelers to the Western Allies did not meet with success. [84] The Gestapo cracked down ruthlessly on dissidents in Germany, just as they did everywhere else. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He appointed General Ferdinand von Bredow, as head of Abwehr. As I understand it the SD was focused on intellectual crimes, Jewish Question and foreign espionage, while the Gestapo concentrated on domestic political crimes and arresting Jews. [28] He answered to Heydrich, Heydrich answered only to Himmler, and Himmler answered only to Hitler. As late as 6 June 1944, Heinrich Mllerconcerned about the leakage of information to the Alliesset up a special unit called Sonderkommando Jerzy that was meant to root out the Polish intelligence network in western and southwestern Europe. What was the difference between the SD and the Gestapo? [98] The Gestapo also maintained offices at all Nazi concentration camps, held an office on the staff of the SS and Police Leaders, and supplied personnel as needed to formations such as the Einsatzgruppen. The sole purpose of SS is supposedly to protect the top leader Nazi Hitler. The SS was also known as the parent organization of the Secret State Police, the Gestapo, and was responsible for organizing mobile killing units that went on a murder rampage in the occupied territories. [34] The specific internal departments of Amt IV were as follows:[95], In 1941 Referat N, the central command office of the Gestapo was formed. It was mainly used in riots, demonstrations, and the ransacking and destroying of Jewish homes and synagogues. Soon only Prussia was left. [63], Between June 1942 and March 1943, student protests were calling for an end to the Nazi regime. On 26 April 1933, Gring merged the two units as the Geheime Staatspolizei, which was abbreviated by a post office clerk for a franking stamp and became known as the "Gestapo". Later on, the SS had its own special uniforms that distinguished it from other organizations such as the SA and the Gestapo. [113] In Dsseldorf, the local Gestapo office of only 281 men were responsible for the entire Lower Rhine region, which comprised 4 million people. These groups became a special focus of the Gestapo because of their insurrectionist goalsthe overthrow of the Nazi regime, the re-establishment of an independent Austria under Habsburg leadershipand Hitler's hatred of the Habsburg family. [15] Many of the Gestapo employees in the newly established offices were young and highly educated in a wide variety of academic fields and moreover, represented a new generation of National Socialist adherents, who were hard-working, efficient, and prepared to carry the Nazi state forward through the persecution of their political opponents. [155] These groupsthe Nazi Party and government leadership, the German General staff and High Command (OKW); the Sturmabteilung (SA); the Schutzstaffel (SS), including the Sicherheitsdienst (SD); and the Gestapohad an aggregate membership exceeding two million, making a large number of their members liable to trial when the organisations were convicted. [128], Of the political cases, 61 people were investigated for suspicion of belonging to the KPD, 44 for the SPD and 69 for other political parties. As we continue to explore the differences between abfraction and abrasion, it can be helpful to see these terms used in context. [86] A year after the organisation's inception, Gring wrote in a British publication about having created the organisation on his own initiative and how he was "chiefly responsible" for the elimination of the Marxist and Communist threat to Germany and Prussia. To summarize the information above, we have provided the following short table. [42] Habsburg loyalist Karl Burian's (who was later executed) plan to blow up the Gestapo headquarters in Vienna represented a unique attempt to act aggressively against the Gestapo. [138], As an instrument of Nazi power, terror, and repression, the Gestapo operated throughout occupied Europe. [121][122] Work done by social historians such as Detlev Peukert, Robert Gellately, Reinhard Mann, Inge Marssolek, Ren Otto, Klaus-Michael Mallmann and Paul Gerhard, which by focusing on what the local offices were doing has shown the Gestapo's almost total dependence on denunciations from ordinary Germans, and very much discredited the older "Big Brother" picture with the Gestapo having its eyes and ears everywhere. In 1939, the SA was largely used as a training center for the Army when the war started. [18] Rhm's position was menacing as more than 4.5 million men fell under his command once the militias and veterans organisations were absorbed by the SA,[19] a fact which fuelled Rhm's aspirations; his dream of fusing the SA and Reichswehr together was undermining Hitler's relationships with the leadership of Germany's armed forces. [40], Polish agents also gathered detailed information about the morale of German soldiers in the East. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [108] Heydrich thought along similar lines and advocated both defensive and offensive measures on the part of the Gestapo, so as to prevent any subversion or destruction of the National Socialist body. Nevertheless, in practice there was jurisdictional overlap and operational conflict between the SD and Gestapo. [111] This admixture certainly shaped the Gestapo's public image which they sought to maintain despite their increasing workload; an image which helped them identify and eliminate enemies of the Nazi state. Nearly all of them, including: the Rmer Group, Robby Group, Solf Circle, Schwarze Reichswehr, the Party of the Radical Middle Class, Jungdeutscher Orden, Schwarze Front and Stahlhelm were either discovered or infiltrated by the Gestapo. Heydrich, named chief of the Gestapo by Himmler on 22 April 1934, also continued as head of the SS Security Service (Sicherheitsdienst; SD). Opposition became more difficult. The leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, along with a few other senior Nazi officials carefully plotted and planned the murder of the leader of the SA. Abwehr | Encyclopedia.com The ordinary uniformed ones doing office jobs were called Algemeine SS or ordinary SS The size of the SS increased dramatically and eventually had 38 Divisions of which half were not German. [151][152] Nineteen of the 22 were convicted, and twelveMartin Bormann (in absentia), Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Gring, Alfred Jodl, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Wilhelm Keitel, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Alfred Rosenberg, Fritz Sauckel, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Julius Streicherwere given the death penalty. [105] One man who served in the Prussian Gestapo in 1933 recalled that most of his co-workers "were by no means Nazis. [132] Brutality on the part of interrogatorsoften prompted by denunciations and followed with roundupsenabled the Gestapo to uncover numerous resistance networks; it also made them seem like they knew everything and could do anything they wanted. by Phil Nix 01 Feb 2004, 12:16. Thousands of leftists, intellectuals, Jews, trade unionists, political clergy, and homosexuals simply disappeared into concentration camps after being arrested by the Gestapo. Secret State Police), abbreviated Gestapo (German: [tapo]; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. ThreeWalther Funk, Rudolf Hess, Erich Raederreceived life terms; and the remaining fourKarl Dnitz, Konstantin von Neurath, Albert Speer, and Baldur von Schirachreceived shorter prison sentences. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The SS initially had an all-black uniform specially designed for its men, which was replaced by uniforms in camouflaging colors during the war. They were subject to co-ordination by inspectors of the security police and SD on the staffs of the local higher SS and police leaders, however, and one of the principal functions of the local SD units was to serve as the intelligence agency for the local Gestapo units. to the Allies. Among the first to speak out were religious dissenters but following in their wake were educators, aristocratic businessmen, office workers, teachers, and others from nearly every walk of life. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Terror against "state enemies" had become a way of life to such a degree that the Gestapo's presence and methods were eventually normalised in the minds of people living in Nazi Germany. [48] As a preface to this action, Hitler decreed May 1 as National Labor Day to celebrate German workers, a move the trade union leaders welcomed. They were both eventually headed by Himmler, although the Gestapo existed before him. [110] Browder also describes a sandwich effect, where from above; Gestapo agents were subjected to ideologically oriented racism and criminal biological theories; and from below, the Gestapo was transformed by SS personnel who did not have the proper police training, which showed in their propensity for unrestrained violence. 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[91], As a result of its 1936 merger with the Kripo (National criminal police) to form sub-units of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo; Security Police), the Gestapo was officially classified as a government agency. Answer (1 of 4): It was of a piece with the Nazi governing policy: the Fhrerprinzip that created a a plethora of government agencies engaged in non-stop internecine bureaucratic turf wars. The killed SA members were further demeaned by making their homosexuality public. Heinrich Himmler It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Soon afterward, Gring detached the political and intelligence sections from the police and filled their ranks with Nazis. [116], According to Canadian historian Robert Gellately's analysis of the local offices established, the Gestapo wasfor the most partmade up of bureaucrats and clerical workers who depended upon denunciations by citizens for their information. Rhm harbored the same intentions. [52] Increasing religious objections to Nazi policies led the Gestapo to carefully monitor church organisations. [94] However, Gestapo leader Heinrich Mller was never tried, as he disappeared at the end of the war. [61] Homosexuals were correspondingly considered a threat to the Volksgemeinschaft (National Community). Complaints from the Waffen-SS led to a change of rank insignia shoulder boards from those of the Waffen-SS to those of the Ordnungspolizei. [131] Beyond that, sleep deprivation and various forms of harassment were used as investigative methods. Files, card, indexes, information and administration (C1), Department D (Occupied Territories), administration for regions outside the, Protectorate affairs, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, regions of Yugoslavia, Greece (D1). [92], In September 1939, the SiPo and SD were merged into the newly created Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA; Reich Security Main Office). There were reports that Mller ended up in the foreign secret service at Washington D.C., some allege he was in Moscow working for the Soviets, still others claimed he escaped to South Americabut none of the myths have ever been proven; all of which adds to the "mysterious power of the Gestapo". [25] The idea was to fully identify and integrate the party agency (SD) with the state agency (SiPo). However, these internal departments remained and the Gestapo continued to be a department under the RSHA umbrella. The SD was mainly an information-gathering agency, while the Gestapoand to a degree the Criminal Police (Kriminalpolizei or Kripo)was the executive agency of the political police system. The Gestapo also cooperated extensively with the Ordnungspolizei for operations inside Germany and in the occupied territories. The Gestapo ruthlessly eliminated opposition to the Nazis within Germany and its occupied territories and, in partnership with the Sicherheitsdienst (SD; Security Service), was responsible for the roundup of Jews throughout Europe for deportation to extermination camps. [124], An examination of 213 denunciations in Dsseldorf showed that 37% were motivated by personal conflicts, no motive could be established in 39%, and 24% were motivated by support for the Nazi regime. by Walter Schellenberg 14 Aug 2002, 03:29, Post Sources: There were strict protocols protecting the identity of Gestapo field personnel. The SD was mainly an information-gathering agency, while the Gestapoand to a degree the Criminal Police (Kriminalpolizei or Kripo)was the executive agency of the political police system. [142], Occupation meant administration and policing, a duty assigned to the SS, the SD, and the Gestapo even before hostilities began, as was the case for Czechoslovakia. Whereas the Gestapo agents, were mostly of police background. [118] The information supplied by denunciations often led the Gestapo in determining who was arrested. Gestapo vs. Ss - What's the difference? | Ask Difference [129] Most of the political investigations took place between 1933 and 1935 with the all-time high of 57 cases in 1935. [130], Normal methods of investigation included various forms of blackmail, threats and extortion to secure "confessions". From 27 September 1939, it was administered by the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). The SD and Gestapo did have integration through SS members holding dual positions in each branch. The Geheime Staatspolizei (German pronunciation: [ham tatspolitsa] (listen); transl. On 20 April 1934, oversight of the Gestapo passed to the head of the Schutzstaffel (SS), Heinrich Himmler, who was also appointed Chief of German Police by Hitler in 1936. The Gestapo was the political police force of the Nazi state. GESTAPO short for geheime Staatspolizei formed in Prussia by Goring . Joins the Abwehr Schrader escaped from the Concentration Camp in 1934. However, very few arrests were made. [d], The German opposition was in an unenviable position by the late spring and early summer of 1943. [41], In Austria, there were groups still loyal to the Habsburgs, who unlike most across the Greater German Reich, remained determined to resist the Nazis. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Gestapo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). the United States . [107], The Canadian historian Robert Gellately wrote that most Gestapo men were not Nazis, but at the same time were not opposed to the Nazi regime, which they were willing to serve, in whatever task they were called upon to perform. There were plenty of intelligence agencies in Nazi Germany with overlapping portfolios. When the war started, the Gestapo basically had to identify and arrest any suspicious person and send him/her to a concentration camp, or kill him/her on the spot. The Schutzstaffel, Sturmabteilung, and Geheime Staatspolizei played different and yet equally vital roles in Nazi Germany. However, with the Abwehr and GFP being flooded with work, the situation changed and the SS shrewdly used the opportunity to gain a foothold in Belgium. Gring outflanked him by removing the Prussian political and intelligence departments from the state interior ministry. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Gestapo had its own system of arrests, judiciary, and execution. [157], After the war, U.S. Counterintelligence Corps employed the former Lyon Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie for his anti-communist efforts and also helped him escape to Bolivia. by Wilfried Abenaschon 13 Aug 2002, 02:31, Post [50], Many parts of Germany (where religious dissent existed upon the Nazi seizure of power) saw a rapid transformation; a change as noted by the Gestapo in conservative towns such as Wrzburg, where people acquiesced to the regime either through accommodation, collaboration, or simple compliance. After the war ended, the Gestapo was declared a criminal organisation by the International Military Tribunal (IMT) at the Nuremberg trials, and several top Gestapo members were sentenced to death. After his escape, he rejoined the army as a Hauptmann, with seniority dating from May 1st of 1934. . [148] Other Danish civilians, like in many places across Europe, acted as Gestapo informants but this should not be seen as wholehearted support for the Nazi program, as motives for cooperation varied. It was also largely responsible for planning and carrying out the Holocaust. by Schmauser 13 Aug 2002, 13:44, Post Their victims also included the unemployed, the disabled, homosexuals, religious leaders, and political opponents. [25][26], The SiPo was placed under the direct command of Reinhard Heydrich who was already chief of the Nazi Party's intelligence service, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD). [159], Leitstellung (district office) staff did wear the grey SS service uniform, but with police-pattern shoulderboards, and SS rank insignia on the left collar patch. [93], The creation of the RSHA represented the formalisation, at the top level, of the relationship under which the SD served as the intelligence agency for the security police. The SS - Definition & Facts Discussions on all aspects of the SS and Polizei. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The local offices of the Gestapo, known as Gestapo Leitstellen and Stellen, answered to a local commander known as the Inspekteur der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD ("Inspector of the Security Police and Security Service") who, in turn, was under the dual command of Referat N of the Gestapo and also his local SS and Police Leader. Differences between SD & GESTAPO: practical point of vue - Axis History Abwehr - Wikipedia Three othersHans Fritzsche, Hjalmar Schacht, and Franz von Papenwere acquitted. [50] Meanwhile, the SA and police occupied trade union headquarters, arrested functionaries, confiscated their property and assets; all by design so as to be replaced on 12 May by the German Labour Front (DAF), a Nazi organisation placed under the leadership of Robert Ley. Members of the three convicted groups, however, were subject to apprehension by Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France. History has indeed told us terrifying tales of the Holocaust and World War II, which claimed countless innocent lives. [104][e] Some locals aided the Gestapo, whether as professional police auxiliaries or in other duties. The difference between SS and the Gestapo The Gestapo is an organization of the police that existed only around 1934-1939 while the SS exited longer for about sixteen years between 1929 and 1945, before being abolished. The killing units wiped out entire villages as a result.
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