Gestapo/SD in wartime
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Freiritter
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Gestapo/SD in wartime
During the war, what did the Gestapo do? Where they involved with anti-resistance operations in the occupied countries? Also, what was the wartime role of the SS Sicherheitdienst?
The SD was the SS's intelligence-gathering agency, while the Gestapo was the SD's executive arm -ie: the SD gathered evidence and built a case, and the Gestapo carried out any arrests. This is probably a gross over-simplification, because the SS intelligence and security police organisations were so complicated. Can any other reader add anything??
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Tegetdorff
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SD and Gestapo
AllI van add is that the Gestapo preexistd the Third Reich,(GESTAPA--Geheime Polizei At-Secret Police Office),and was a STATE security agaency,similiar to US Secret Service or etc.The SD,formed under Heydrich in the early thirtie's,was the PARTY secret intelligience agency,and initially spied on and got dirt on NSDAP bigwigs.Later,as they expanded,so did their authority and duties-the cross agency intrigue,particularly in the early days,was often murderous,as reading the memoirs of Walther Schellenberg,head of Ausland SD,can attest.It is interesting o note that every KZ had a Gestapo 'political office',but not for SD.Each agency had several 'desks',each handling different assignments,such as interior intellgience,provincial intelligience,sabotage and resistance,etc.For further reading about this nightmare world,I suggest,'Anatomy of the SS State',by Gerald Reitlinger,1955
S.G.Loy
Re: Gestapo/SD in wartime
just to make it simple: it was capturing, torturing ans mass murdering other nations. especially members of resistance. at least in General Gubern. with no exaggeration I can wrtite that in Poland Gestapo was a synonimous to 'death'. very often painful.Freiritter wrote:During the war, what did the Gestapo do? Where they involved with anti-resistance operations in the occupied countries? Also, what was the wartime role of the SS Sicherheitdienst?
S.
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The StandartenFuhrer
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My Grandmothers brother (my mother side) served as a HauptsturmFuherer in the SD. He travelled all over Greater Germany and although he died many years back he had claimed that his job really was just like being a detective.
So i am sure some people in the SD were quite cruel but there was still a civil side to it.
So i am sure some people in the SD were quite cruel but there was still a civil side to it.
This means absolutely nothing. Would you expect him to admit that he wasn't a "good guy". Its funny how nowadays everyone claims that their relatives were one of the very few that never did anything wrong.The StandartenFuhrer wrote:My Grandmothers brother (my mother side) served as a HauptsturmFuherer in the SD. He travelled all over Greater Germany and although he died many years back he had claimed that his job really was just like being a detective.
So i am sure some people in the SD were quite cruel but there was still a civil side to it.
But then again maybe he was a nice guy?
This means absolutely nothing. Would you expect him to admit that he wasn't a "good guy". Its funny how nowadays everyone claims that their relatives were one of the very few that never did anything wrong.The StandartenFuhrer wrote:My Grandmothers brother (my mother side) served as a HauptsturmFuherer in the SD. He travelled all over Greater Germany and although he died many years back he had claimed that his job really was just like being a detective.
So i am sure some people in the SD were quite cruel but there was still a civil side to it.
But then again maybe he was a nice guy?
"This means absolutely nothing. Would you expect him to admit that he wasn't a "good guy". Its funny how nowadays everyone claims that their relatives were one of the very few that never did anything wrong. "
Oh I see, so all people in organsiations like the W-SS, Gestapo were inherently evil, wicked torturers...... I'm glad we've cleared that up.
Such a wide sweeping statement is fine if you can back it up with hard facts, it's just as offensive as to say that the Russian troop who crossed the Oder were rapists/murders/paedophiles...
Try have an open mind.
Oh I see, so all people in organsiations like the W-SS, Gestapo were inherently evil, wicked torturers...... I'm glad we've cleared that up.
Such a wide sweeping statement is fine if you can back it up with hard facts, it's just as offensive as to say that the Russian troop who crossed the Oder were rapists/murders/paedophiles...
Try have an open mind.
Banzai!
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Herr Doktor
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Re: Gestapo/SD in wartime
The Gestapo aka Geheimstaatspolizei, literally "secret state police", was the political investigation sub-agency of the German state police, headed initially by Rudolf Diels and answerable to Hermann Göring.
In 1934, they came under the direct control and administration of the SS, and with Heinrich Muller at their head functioned pragmatically as an executive arm of the SD answerable to Reinhard Heydrich. A part of the Sipo, like their Kripo brothers the Gestapo operated in plain clothes, hence the caricaturial leather coat stuff of Brit and American war movies. They were however, anything but the clumsy buffoons popularly though inaccurately portrayed by Ealing B call actors.
The SD, an abbreviation for Sicherheitsdienst which literally means "security service", were the intelligence arm and a sub-agency of the Allegemeine SS vis the NSDAP, responsible directly to Obergruppenführer SS Heydrich head of the RSHA, and ultimately to Reichsführer SS Himmler. In 1938, the roles of the Gestapo and SD became less distinct as the SD was legally made the intelligence organisation of the state rather than that of the party vis the SS. However whilst working in close liaision, they nevertheless remained separate agencies as do MI5 and MI6, "special branch" of respective police services et al.
After Heydrich's murder, Obergruppenführer SS Kaltenbrunner headed the SD as RSHA Chef.
Not to be confused with and totally separate from the Abwehr under Canaris, which was the state's military intelligence service.
Both agencies were actively and effectively involved in anti-terrorist activities as part of their core function/s.
In 1934, they came under the direct control and administration of the SS, and with Heinrich Muller at their head functioned pragmatically as an executive arm of the SD answerable to Reinhard Heydrich. A part of the Sipo, like their Kripo brothers the Gestapo operated in plain clothes, hence the caricaturial leather coat stuff of Brit and American war movies. They were however, anything but the clumsy buffoons popularly though inaccurately portrayed by Ealing B call actors.
The SD, an abbreviation for Sicherheitsdienst which literally means "security service", were the intelligence arm and a sub-agency of the Allegemeine SS vis the NSDAP, responsible directly to Obergruppenführer SS Heydrich head of the RSHA, and ultimately to Reichsführer SS Himmler. In 1938, the roles of the Gestapo and SD became less distinct as the SD was legally made the intelligence organisation of the state rather than that of the party vis the SS. However whilst working in close liaision, they nevertheless remained separate agencies as do MI5 and MI6, "special branch" of respective police services et al.
After Heydrich's murder, Obergruppenführer SS Kaltenbrunner headed the SD as RSHA Chef.
Not to be confused with and totally separate from the Abwehr under Canaris, which was the state's military intelligence service.
Both agencies were actively and effectively involved in anti-terrorist activities as part of their core function/s.
Yes yes on this forum we even now love the gestapo and the SD. Its revolting that there are people on here who actually dont wish to blame the SS for anything but for people to come on here and claim that not all the Gestapo or SD were bad? Whats next swastikas on your foreheads or goosetepping down main streets? Oh of course the Gestapo was great, never hurt a fly, no torture ever. And even if? So what, it was only Poles and others, not like it was anyone important like an Englishman or an American. To all those who admire the Gestapo, SS or the SD I wish upon you that someday you fall into the hands of people the same calibre of people like the Gestapo and they perform all their nice tricks on you. After all you should have nothing to worry about they were all just men with honor, doing their jobs, not mistreating anyone.
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Herr Doktor
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Why, of course this is right!
They were all men of honor: honorable sadists, torturers, murderers, etc. But after all, they were only following orders, right?! And besides, have not the secret police of every other state engaged in various excesses over time? You can hardly blame them for only doing their honorable job (with zeal). And we all know here that "the history is written by the victors," which means the Gestapo/SD/Nazis never really did anything bad at all - we have only been lead to believe these false, awful things. Who is spreading such lies?? And why??
In truth, there were no Nazis in Germany. Poland attacked peace-loving Germany first and started the war!
It's beginning to stink in here.
HD
They were all men of honor: honorable sadists, torturers, murderers, etc. But after all, they were only following orders, right?! And besides, have not the secret police of every other state engaged in various excesses over time? You can hardly blame them for only doing their honorable job (with zeal). And we all know here that "the history is written by the victors," which means the Gestapo/SD/Nazis never really did anything bad at all - we have only been lead to believe these false, awful things. Who is spreading such lies?? And why??
In truth, there were no Nazis in Germany. Poland attacked peace-loving Germany first and started the war!
It's beginning to stink in here.
HD
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the.warlord1944
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trauma
u got a trauma from your granny or grandpa ?
gestapo
The Geheime Staatspolizei (German for Secret State Police, abbreviated "Gestapo") was formally organized after the Nazi's seized power in 1933. Hermann Göring, the Prussian minister of the interior, detached the espionage and political units of the Prussian police. And staffed them with thousands of Nazis. Göring became the commander of this new force on April 26, 1933. At the same time that Goring was organzing the Gestapo, Heinrich Himmler was directing the SS (Schutzstaffel, German for "Protective Echelon"), Hitler's elite paramilitary corps. In April 1936, he was given command of the Gestapo as well, integrating all of Germany's police units under Himmler.
Later in 1936, the Gestapo was merged with the Kriminalpolizei (or "Kripo," German for Criminal Police). The newly integrated unit was the called the Sicherheitspolizei (or "Sipo," German for Secret Police). In 1939, during the reorganization of the German armies, the Sipo was joined with an intelligence branch of the military known as the Sicherheitsdienst ("SD," meaning Security Service). After this merger, the Sipo became known as the Reichssicherheitshauptamt ("RSHA," meaning Reich Security Central Office), and was headed by Reinhard Heydrich. Because of these frequent changes, the functions of the Gestapo became blurred, and often overlapped with those of the other branches of the German forces.
During World War II, the Einsatzgruppen (Task Force) was formed, and came to be an integral part of the Gestapo. It was the Task Force's job to round up all the Jews and other "undesirables" living within Germany's newly conquered territories, and to either send them to concentration camps or put them to death.
The army units within the Gestapo were taught many torture techniques, and were also taught many of the practices that German doctors in Dachau tested on the inmates of concentration camps. The Gestapo, during its tenure, operated without any restrictions by civil authority, meaning that its members could not be tried for any of their police practices. This unconditional authority added an elitist element to the Gestapo; its members knew that whatever actions they took, no consequences would arise.
+information from the source....
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp ... G&b=394845
and for visualizers
German soldiers of the Waffen-SS and the Reich Labor Service look on as a member of an Einsatzgruppe prepares to shoot a Ukrainian Jew kneeling on the edge of a mass grave filled with corpses.
Later in 1936, the Gestapo was merged with the Kriminalpolizei (or "Kripo," German for Criminal Police). The newly integrated unit was the called the Sicherheitspolizei (or "Sipo," German for Secret Police). In 1939, during the reorganization of the German armies, the Sipo was joined with an intelligence branch of the military known as the Sicherheitsdienst ("SD," meaning Security Service). After this merger, the Sipo became known as the Reichssicherheitshauptamt ("RSHA," meaning Reich Security Central Office), and was headed by Reinhard Heydrich. Because of these frequent changes, the functions of the Gestapo became blurred, and often overlapped with those of the other branches of the German forces.
During World War II, the Einsatzgruppen (Task Force) was formed, and came to be an integral part of the Gestapo. It was the Task Force's job to round up all the Jews and other "undesirables" living within Germany's newly conquered territories, and to either send them to concentration camps or put them to death.
The army units within the Gestapo were taught many torture techniques, and were also taught many of the practices that German doctors in Dachau tested on the inmates of concentration camps. The Gestapo, during its tenure, operated without any restrictions by civil authority, meaning that its members could not be tried for any of their police practices. This unconditional authority added an elitist element to the Gestapo; its members knew that whatever actions they took, no consequences would arise.
+information from the source....
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp ... G&b=394845
and for visualizers
German soldiers of the Waffen-SS and the Reich Labor Service look on as a member of an Einsatzgruppe prepares to shoot a Ukrainian Jew kneeling on the edge of a mass grave filled with corpses.
Ada