Question

Describe the nazi police in Germany

Answer 1

The leadership of the German police was formally vested in the Ministry of Interior, under Wilhelm Frick, minister of the interior 1933-1943 (when he was replaced by Heinrich Himmler). Already before the Nazi Machtübernahme, Himmler was chief of the SS and the SD. In 1936 he became secretary of state of the interior, as well as chief of the German police. As Germany's most senior policeman, Himmler had two goals; first the official goal of centralization and Gleichschaltung: reforming the German police forces after Nazi ideals and Prussian models; secondly, the unofficial goal of making the German police an adjunct of the SS, thereby improving his standing among Hitler's vassals.

Command and control of the Ordnungspolizeiwas exerted through Hauptamt Ordnungspolizei, founded in 1936, under the successive leadership of Kurt Daluege (1936-1943) and Alfred Wünnenberg (1943-1945). Command and control of the Gestapo and the Kripo were since 1936 exerted through Hauptamt Sicherheitspolizei, and since 1939 through the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) - also controlling the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) - under Reinhardt Heydrich (1936-1942) and Ernst Kaltenbrunner (1943-1945). Both the Hauptamt Ordnungspolizei and the RSHA were simultaneously government agencies and administrative divisions of the SS. Regionally the police and the SS were integrated through common higher regional commanders, Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer, and common lower regional commanders, SS- und Polizeiführer.

Answer 2

The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various security police agencies of Prussia into one organisation. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it passed to the administration of Schutzstaffel (SS) national leader Heinrich Himmler, who in 1936 was appointed Chief of German Police (Chef der Deutschen Polizei) by Hitler. The Gestapo at this time becoming a national rather than a Prussian state agency as a suboffice of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) (Security Police). Then, from 27 September 1939 forward, it was administered by the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) (Reich Main Security Office). It became known as Amt (Dept) 4 of the RSHA and was considered a sister organisation to the SS Sicherheitsdienst (SD) (Security Service). During World War II, the Gestapo played a key role in the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe.