Police in the Nazi State

Part of the consolidation of the NSDAP’s power over Germany from 1933 on included the expansion of the power of Nazi Party organizations to functions of the state. The consolidation of the various arms of Germany’s police and security agencies under the control of the SS from 1936 on played a key role in the elimination of opposition to National Socialism in Germany and the solidification of Nazi power.

SS (Schutzstaffel)
Initially formed as a small unit of Hitler’s personal bodyguards, the SS (Schutzstaffel, 1925-1945) grew into a powerful elite corps and one of the most powerful organizations in the Nazi state. Under the leadership of SS chief Heinrich Himmler from 1929, SS members underwent rigorous ideological and racial screening and embodied absolute loyalty to Hitler and National Socialism. Himmler’s SS combined responsibility for internal security and racial purity in Nazi Germany and oversaw Nazi efforts in pursuit of the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.”

SD (Security Service)
The intelligence service of the NSDAP under SS control (1931-1945), the SD (Sicherheitsdienst, literally Security Service) was responsible for intelligence gathering about perceived enemies of the NSDAP, including political opponents, Jews and others. Led by Reinhard Heydrich from its establishment in 1931, the SD was initially one of several intelligence services operating in Germany. In 1934, the SD was named the sole intelligence agency of Nazi Germany.

SiPo (Security Police)
During the 1930s, Himmler pursued the consolidation of police and security forces in Nazi Germany under SS control. In 1936, he established the Main Office of the Security Police (SiPo), combining the criminal police (Kripo) and the political police (Gestapo) under SS command. He further aligned the SiPo with the SD by appointing SD chief Reinhard Heydrich Chief of Security Police and SD, thus strengthening the link between the security forces of the German state and the Nazi Party.

Kripo (criminal police)
A police detective force responsible for the investigation of crimes. Under the Nazi state, the Kripo (Criminal Police) developed into a key enforcer of Nazi policies and aided in the persecution, arrest, imprisonment and murder of Jews and other groups perceived as enemies of Nazi Germany.

Gestapo (political police)
The political police force of Nazi Germany, the Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei, literally “Secret State Police”) was responsible for the identification and brutal suppression of opposition to the Nazi state.

Reich Security Main Office (RSHA)
In September 1939, shortly after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Himmler created the Reich Security Main Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt or RSHA) under the leadership of Reinhard Heydrich. The RSHA united the SD intelligence service (Sicherheitsdienst) and the SiPo security police forces (Gestapo and Kripo) into one Nazi agency, combining administrative and policing power with Nazi Party structure and ideology. Intended to facilitate the wartime objectives of Nazi Germany, the RSHA was responsible for coordination and implementation of many of the most brutal policies of the Holocaust.

Orpo (Order Police)
The uniformed police force of Nazi Germany, the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei, Orpo) were responsible for maintaining order through crime prevention and first response. The Orpo enforced Nazi laws at street level and also provided support to other Nazi police organizations. Some units of the Orpo were militarized and deployed in Nazi-occupied areas, where they participated in combat and security operations. In Poland, this included aiding Einsatzgruppen in the massacre of Jews and Poles.