Nazi Control of Germany 1933-1945

The **

The ** were formed in 1925 from people loyal to Hitler
After virtually destroying the SA in 1934 it grew into a huge organisation with many responsibilities
It was lead by Himmler
The ** men were Aryans (Pure Germans), very highly trained and loyal to Hitler
Under Himmler they had the responsibility for destroying Nazi opposition and carrying out Nazi policies
There were two divisions in the ** - the Death Heads who were responsible for the concentration camps and slaughter of the Jews and the Waffen-** who were a special armoured regiment which fought alongside the regular army

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The Gestapo were a secret state police
They were the force most feared by ordinary people
Under the commandment of Heydrich the Gestapo agents had many powers
They could arrest citizens on suspicion and send them to concentration camps without trial or explanation
Research has shown that people thought they were more powerful than they actually were and as a result many ordinary German people informed on each other because they thought the Gestapo would find out anyway

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They also helped to prop up the Nazi dictatorship
Top jobs in the local police forces were given to high ranking Nazis who reported to Himmler
As a result the police added political 'snooping' to there normal law and order role
They were under strict instructions to ignore crimes committed by Nazi agents
Similarly, the Nazis controlled magistrates, judges and courts which meant that opponents of the Nazis rarely received a fair trail

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Concentration camps were the Nazis ultimate sanction against their own people
They were set up almost as soon as Hitler took power
The first concentration camps in 1933 were simply makeshift prisons in disused factories and warehouses - soon these were purpose built
The camps were in isolated rural areas and run by ** Death's Head Units
Prisoners were forced to hard labour. Food was limited and prisoners suffered harsh discipline, beatings and random executions
By the late 1930s deaths in the camps became more common and very few people came out alive from them
Jews, Socialists, Communists, trade unionists, churchmen and anyone else brave enough to criticise the Nazis ended up here

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