GESTAPO

irafasera · Post time 4-11-2006 06:45 PM

German Intelligence Agencies

Geheime Staatspolizei "Secret State Police"

The GESTAPO was the political police force of the Reich. Much of its personnel consisted of transferees from former political police forces of the States. Membership in the GESTAPO was voluntary, and it had a membership of about 40,000 or 50,000 in 1943-45.

The GESTAPO was founded in April 1933 by Goering to serve as a political police force in Prussia. Heinrich Himmler was named Deputy Chief of the GESTAPO in Prussia in 1934. The GESTAPO, through its great power of arrest and confinement to concentration camps without recourse to law, was the principal means for eliminating enemies of the Nazi regime.

The GESTAPO was to ensure that everybody did as they were told or paid the price. Children抯 loyalty could be developed with a policy of indoctrination via education and the  Hitler Youth movement.  Time and planning spent in these areas would bring a suitable reward for Hitler.

Adults were a different proposition.

Some adults clearly supported Hitler as the  March 1933 election showed. But the same election clearly showed that a substantial number of Germans did not support Hitler and the Nazis. These people were likely to be a constant thorn for Hitler unless they were dealt with.

In Nazi Germany, the police were allowed to arrest people on suspicion that they were about to do wrong.  This gave the police huge powers. All local police units had to draw up a list of people in their locality who might be suspected of being "Enemies of the State". This list was given to the Gestapo - the Secret Police. The Gestapo had the power to do as it liked. Its leader - Reinhard Heydrich - was one of the most feared man in Nazi Germany and his immediate chief was Heinrich Himmler. Both men ran their respective branches with ruthless efficiency.

irafasera · Post time 4-11-2006 06:47 PM

Those arrested by either the police or the Gestapo had less than three minutes to pack clothing and say their goodbyes.

Once arrested, they were sent to the nearest police cell. Those in custody were told to sign Form D-11; this was an "Order For Protective Custody". By signing this, you agreed to go to prison. Those who did not sign it were beaten until they did or officers simply forged their signature. Once a D-11 was signed, you were sent to a concentration camp. How long you stayed here depended on the authorities. The usual rule of thumb was whether it was felt that you had learned your lesson (even if there had not been one to learn) and would behave in an acceptable manner once outside of prison.

The concentration camps were deliberately barbaric. Before 1939, deaths in them occurred but they were not common. The idea was that anybody who had been in one, once released, would 慳dvertise

irafasera · Post time 4-11-2006 06:50 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestapo

deaf4ever · Post time 4-11-2006 11:54 PM

Originally posted by irafasera at 4-11-2006 06:45 PM
German Intelligence Agencies

Geheime Staatspolizei "Secret State Police"

The GESTAPO was the political police force of the Reich. Much of its personnel consisted of transferee ...

Gestapo ni ngan SS lain2 ek.

Brutal giler la dorang eh.