Gestapo Flashcards
(10 cards)
What does Gestapo stand for?
Geheime Staatspolizei, meaning “Secret State Police.”
When was the Gestapo established and by whom?
Created in 1933 by Hermann Göring in Prussia; later taken over by Heinrich Himmler and integrated into the SS.
What was the main role of the Gestapo?
To identify, arrest, and eliminate enemies of the Nazi state, using surveillance, informants, and interrogation.
What powers did the Gestapo have?
They could arrest people without trial, detain them indefinitely, and use torture and intimidation.
How did the Gestapo create a climate of fear?
Through a network of informants, arbitrary arrests, and by encouraging citizens to denounce one another, leading to self-censorship and conformity.
Who controlled the Gestapo after 1936?
Heinrich Himmler, who merged it into the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) under SS leadership.
Was the Gestapo a large organisation?
No – it had relatively few agents (about 30,000 for the whole country) and relied heavily on informants and denunciations.
What was the Gestapo’s role during WWII?
Enforced occupation policies, suppressed resistance in occupied territories, and helped organise deportations to concentration and death camps.
How did the Gestapo support the Nazi police state?
It operated outside normal law, targeting anyone seen as politically, racially, or ideologically dangerous, helping to maintain total control.
What happened to the Gestapo after the war?
Declared a criminal organisation at the Nuremberg Trials due to its central role in Nazi repression and the Holocaust.
