Oberstleutnant Werner Schrader (July 20 & Abwehr) - Axis History The resistance group, later discovered by the Gestapo because of a double agent of the Abwehr, was in contact with Allen Dulles, the head of the US Office of Strategic Services in Switzerland. No reason was ever given for their arrest or executionjust the fact that they seemed suspicious was enough. However, it was an important part of the brutal attacks against Jews in Germany. With its dramatic rise to power, the SA began to slowly assume themselves to be somewhat of a replacement to the German Army. SIPO was the security police involved in protecting the security of the country it was state funded. They nearly drowned suspects in ice-cold water, gave them electric shocks, hung them by their wrists, or beat them savagely. [11] Gring took over the Gestapo in 1934 and urged Hitler to extend the agency's authority throughout Germany. Wilhelm Canaris - Jewish Virtual Library Thereafter, there was a show trial overseen by Roland Freisler, followed by their execution. [113] In Dsseldorf, the local Gestapo office of only 281 men were responsible for the entire Lower Rhine region, which comprised 4 million people. by Schmauser 13 Aug 2002, 13:44, Post 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. Hosted by Andrey. Under a 1939 SS reorganization, the Sipo was joined with the Sicherheitsdienst, an SS intelligence department, to form the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Security Central Office) under Heydrich. Josef Jakobs - Agent of the Abwehr or the Gestapo? The Gestapo also cooperated extensively with the Ordnungspolizei for operations inside Germany and in the occupied territories. [104] In 1939, only 3,000 out of the total of 20,000 Gestapo men held SS ranks, and in most cases, these were honorary. Gestapo. 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. For the wider use of "Secret Police", see, Suppression of resistance and persecution, General opposition and military conspiracy, Population ratios, methods and effectiveness, Operation Crossbow was one preliminary missions for, Bonhoeffer was an active opponent of Nazism in the German resistance movement. For example, in 1939 Stettin and Frankfurt am Main only had a total of 41 Gestapo men combined. Later on, the SS had its own special uniforms that distinguished it from other organizations such as the SA and the Gestapo. [36] An oddity of the system was that the prisoner had to sign his own Schutzhaftbefehl, an order declaring that the person had requested imprisonmentpresumably out of fear of personal harm. by Walter Schellenberg 12 Aug 2002, 20:05, Post Leading members of the most famous of these groups, the White Rose, were arrested by the police and turned over to the Gestapo. Arrested by the Gestapo in 1943, he was sent to. We hope the above sections have made the identification of all three organizations clearer. However, these tactics were quite useful for the rise of the Nazi movement. [74] One of the methods employed by the Gestapo to contend with these resistance factions was 'protective detention' which facilitated the process in expediting dissenters to concentration camps and against which there was no legal defence. Deans were to be targeted as the "eyes and ears of the bishops" and a "vast network" established to monitor the activities of ordinary clergy: "The importance of this enemy is such that inspectors of security police and of the security service will make this group of people and the questions discussed by them their special concern". While they may seem very similar, they actually differed in the roles they played. Himmler was given command over Grings Gestapo in April 1934. On 27 September 1939, the security and police agencies of Nazi Germanywith the exception of the Order Policewere consolidated into the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA), headed by Heydrich. [5] Contrary to popular perception, the Gestapo was actually a relatively small organization with limited surveillance capacity; despite this the Gestapo proved extremely effective due to the willingness of ordinary Germans to snitch on fellow citizens. He appointed General Ferdinand von Bredow, as head of Abwehr. [115] The Gestapo office in Saarbrcken had 50 full-term informers in 1939. 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. Sources: While three groups were acquitted of collective war crimes charges, this did not relieve individual members of those groups from conviction and punishment under the denazification programme. Additionally, many of its members were handed over to the armed forces. With their trade union flags waving, Hitler gave a rousing speech to the 1.5 million people assembled on Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld that was nationally broadcast, during which he extolled the nation's revival and working class solidarity. Abfraction vs Abrasion: When To Use Each One In Writing What was the difference between the SD and the Gestapo? Thousands of leftists, intellectuals, Jews, trade unionists, political clergy, and homosexuals simply disappeared into concentration camps after being arrested by the Gestapo. by JLEES 16 Aug 2002, 02:40, Post The Gestapo had terrible methods of interrogating people who they deemed to be anti-Nazi or suspicious in any way. [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. Some participants were sent to concentration camps. Gestapo vs. Ss - What's the difference? | Ask Difference Also known as the Storm Troopers or the Brownshirts (they were called the Brownshirts because of their brown uniforms), it was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, whose violent tactics played a huge role in Hitlers rise to power in Germany. [129] Most of the political investigations took place between 1933 and 1935 with the all-time high of 57 cases in 1935. It ransacked homes, tortured people, deported them to concentration camps, and also killed them for no apparent reason. The Schutzstaffel has also been held responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing the Final Solution, in which countless Jews and people of other seemingly undesirable ethnic groups were murdered. Under his leadership, the SS grew to a sizable organization of over 2,50,000 members. Nonetheless, operations performed either by German members of the Gestapo or auxiliaries from willing collaborators of other nationalities were inconsistent in both disposition and effectiveness. Others were arrested simply on the basis of being "suspected of activities hostile to the State" or that there was reason to "suppose that his dealings might harm society". [129] The "other" category associated with non-conformity included everything from a man who drew a caricature of Hitler to a Catholic teacher suspected of being lukewarm about teaching National Socialism in his classroom. 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. by Phil Nix 01 Feb 2004, 12:16. We hope you enjoy this website. The simple answer is that Josef Jakobs, Karel Richter and all of the Operation LENA spies who landed on the green shores of England were agents of the Abwehr, the military intelligence arm of the German Army. [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. In the occupied territories, the formal relationship between local units of the Gestapo, criminal police, and SD was slightly closer. After Germany conquered Poland (in the autumn of 1939), Gestapo officials believed that they had neutralised Polish intelligence activities. (2013). 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. [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. These men were then given training in racial hatred and were taught to become cold-hearted, violent, sadistic, and to not feel anything at human loss. In 1936 the Gestapoled by Himmlers subordinate, Gruppenfhrer Heinrich Mllerwas joined with the Kriminalpolizei (Criminal Police) under the umbrella of a new organization, the Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo; Security Police). [64][c] Between 1933 and 1935, some 4,000 men were arrested; between 1936 and 1939, another 30,000 men were convicted. [63], Between June 1942 and March 1943, student protests were calling for an end to the Nazi regime. "[141] Once the German armies advanced into enemy territory, they were accompanied by Einsatzgruppen staffed by officers from the Gestapo and Kripo, who usually operated in the rear areas to administer and police the occupied land. The force was created by Hermann Gring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organisation. [160], The Gestapo maintained police detective ranks which were used for all officers, both those who were and who were not concurrently SS members. Schutzstaffel Agency overview Type Paramilitary Jurisdiction Nazi Germany German-occupied Europe Headquarters Prinz-Albrecht-Strae . [139] Much like their affiliated organisations, the SS and the SD, the Gestapo "played a leading part" in enslaving and deporting workers from occupied territory, torturing and executing civilians, singling out and murdering Jews, and subjecting Allied prisoners of war to terrible treatment. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. In December, 1932, Schleicher became chancellor. The Jewish Question needed to be solved, and it was the SS who took up the job. [34] Mller remained the Gestapo Chief. Gestapo members were included in the Einsatzgruppen (deployment groups), which were mobile death squads that followed the German regular army into Poland and Russia to kill Jews and other undesirables. Bureau IV B4 of the Gestapo, under Adolf Eichmann, organized the deportation of millions of Jews from other occupied countries to the extermination camps in Poland. As the war progressed, however, the number of people working for the Gestapo increased to approximately 150,000 men. [125] The Gestapo always showed a special interest in denunciations concerning sexual matters, especially cases concerning Rassenschande with Jews or between Germans and foreigners, in particular Polish slave workers; the Gestapo applied even harsher methods to the foreign workers in the country, especially those from Poland,[126] Jews, Catholics and homosexuals. Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Holocaust Encyclopedia Three othersHans Fritzsche, Hjalmar Schacht, and Franz von Papenwere acquitted. The SS initially had an all-black uniform specially designed for its men, which was replaced by uniforms in camouflaging colors during the war. [59] Over 2,700 Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox clergy were imprisoned at Dachau alone. 1938 Gestapo border inspection stamp applied when leaving Germany On 17 June 1936, Hitler decreed the unification of all police forces in Germany and named Himmler as Chief of German Police. [129] The "administrative control" category concerned those who were breaking the law concerning residency in the city. 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. [32] Although the Sicherheitspolizei was officially disbanded, the term SiPo was figuratively used to describe any RSHA personnel throughout the remainder of the war. According to the trials that were held after Germanys defeat in the war, the SS was responsible for a majority of the crimes committed in Nazi Germany. Night of Long Knives and the Downfall of Sturmabteilung. An organization that would become one of the most-feared ones in Nazi Germany was created so as to strengthen Nazi rule by weeding out anyone who could be perceived as a threat to the Party. ), however, is missing: a security-classified withdrawal card remains in place, and the withdrawn item is listed among the contents of an envelope of withdrawn items subsequently declassified by the IWG, however that document was not in the . From 27 September 1939, it was administered by the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). Whereas the Gestapo agents, were mostly of police background. [85], In January 1933, Hermann Gring, Hitler's minister without portfolio, was appointed the head of the Prussian Police and began filling the political and intelligence units of the Prussian Secret Police with Nazi Party members. The Gestapo committed widespread atrocities during its existence. It was also largely responsible for planning and carrying out the Holocaust. The word Gestapo is an abbreviation of the German term Geheime Staatspolizei, which translates to Secret State Police. The SS was given the complete authority of all the concentration camps in Germany as well as the occupied regions after 1934. Corrections? 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. Gradually, with time, the SS became one of the most-feared organizations in Germany. [67] However, resistance groups and those who were in moral or political opposition to the Nazis were stalled by the fear of reprisals from the Gestapo. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. What is the name of the evil organization within the Third Reich? 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. Differences among: KRIPO, SIPO, GESTAPO & SD - Axis History Forum Frick did not have the political power to take on Gring by himself so he allied with Himmler. [10] Diels was best known as the primary interrogator of Marinus van der Lubbe after the Reichstag fire. At the beginning of the war, the Gestapo employed about 40,000 men. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [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. [73] From the mid-1930s into the early 1940svarious groups made up of communists, idealists, working-class people, and far-right conservative opposition organisations covertly fought against Hitler's government, and several of them fomented plots that included Hitler's assassination. [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. [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. [90] Less than two weeks later in early May 1933, the Gestapo moved into their Berlin headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Strae 8. When a group or organisation was thus declared criminal, the competent national authority of any signatory had the right to bring persons to trial for membership in that organisation, with the criminal nature of the group or organisation assumed proved. This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 18:29. by Starinov 12 Aug 2002, 21:51, Post What is the difference between the SD and the Gestapo? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Their victims also included the unemployed, the disabled, homosexuals, religious leaders, and political opponents. [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. When Rhm refused to commit suicide, he was shot by two SS officers. Rhms leadership and not-so-secret desire of merging with the Army made many senior Nazi officials feel threatened. Though the Gestapo, the SS, and the SA were all created to serve Hitler and his Nazi regime, they differed somewhat in their functioning and the way they were controlled. [25] This action effectively merged the police into the SS and removed it from Frick's control. There were plenty of intelligence agencies in Nazi Germany with overlapping portfolios. The gestapo were Nazi Germany's brutal secret-police. by Wilfried Abenaschon 13 Aug 2002, 02:31, Post Abwehr : Nazi Germany At that time, the SS consisted of approximately 300 members. However, this fact was cashed upon to invite empathy from the public as well as to add shock value. Gestapo | Holocaust Encyclopedia Joins the Abwehr Schrader escaped from the Concentration Camp in 1934. [32] The Gestapo became Amt IV (Department IV) of RSHA and Mller became the Gestapo Chief, with Heydrich as his immediate superior. Hitler's Two Armies - HistoryNet After uncovering a sample of the information the Poles had reported, Gestapo officials concluded that Polish intelligence activity represented a very serious danger to Germany. [22] Once persuaded, Hitler acted by setting Himmler's SS into action, who then proceeded to murder over 100 of Hitler's identified antagonists. Within Germany and areas which were incorporated within the Reich for the purpose of civil administration, local offices of the Gestapo, criminal police, and SD were formally separate. However, Hitler too began to realize the risks associated with Rhm and his leadership, and was more concerned about his senior officials being wary of Rhm. 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. Diels was appointed with the title of chief of Abteilung Ia (Department 1a) of the Prussian Secret Police.