The Imperial Security Directorate-General (RSHA) is a key governing body in fascist Germany that has been involved in political intelligence. It was founded in 1939 after combining the security service with the Main Directorate of the Security Police. He was directly subordinate to the chief of the German police and the Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler. This was one of the 12 main departments of the SS, which had about three thousand employees. Based in Berlin on Prince Albrechtstrasse.
History of creation
The General Directorate of Imperial Security (RSHA) was founded on September 27, 1939. In fact, the prehistory of this was the establishment by Adolf Hitler of the post of chief of police of the Reich and the imperial leader of the SS. This happened in mid-1936. Himmler was appointed to this position, and the German police from that moment transferred to the direct subordination of the SS.
On the basis of the imperial Ministry of the Interior, the main security police department and the police order department were created. In 1939, after the security police merged with the security service, the General Directorate of Imperial Security appeared.
The abbreviation under which this structure became known came from the German word Reichssicherheitshauptamt. The decoding of the RSHA was known to everyone at that time. The sad fame of him spread far beyond the borders of Germany. The Main Directorate of Imperial Security has become one of the personifications of the fascist regime.
Structure
Finally, this body was formed by the fall of 1940. At first it included six departments, in the spring of 1941 the seventh appeared. Each of them was divided into departments, the next structural unit was the so-called essays.
The detailed structure of the RSHA will be given later in this article. The first department dealt with organizational and personnel issues, as well as advanced training and education of employees. Until 1943, he was led by Bruno Streckenbach, then he was replaced by Erwin Schulz, the last chapters were Hans Kammler and Erich Erlinger.
The second department in the structure of the RSHA of the Third Reich dealt with legal, administrative and financial issues. At various times, its leaders were Hans Nokemann, Rudolf Siegert, Kurt Pritzel, Josef Spatsil.
Internal LED
The Third Directorate occupied a special place in the structure of the RSHA. In fact, the SD was founded in 1931, becoming an important part of the National Socialist state apparatus in the Third Reich. Since 1939, it has become part of the General Directorate of Imperial Security (RSHA).
It is officially recognized that the SD is directly responsible for numerous crimes, it was used to intimidate the population and fight political opponents. The external units that existed in it were engaged in covert operations and espionage. The SD was officially recognized as a criminal organization at the Nuremberg trials.
Initially, it was created to ensure the safety of the Nazi leadership and personally Adolf Hitler. At first it was a structure, which was an auxiliary police force, which was directly subordinate to the Nazi party. Himmler then stated that the main task of the SD should be the disclosure of opponents of National Socialist ideas. Her activity was focused on political investigation, analytical work.
Part of the RSHA 3 Reich divisions that were part of the Third Directorate was led by Otto Olendorf (they were responsible for analyzing the situation in the country and internal intelligence), the rest were Walter Schellenberg (he oversaw external intelligence).
Formulating the differences in the work of the SD and the SS, Himmler noted that the SD is engaged in the preparation of examinations, studies, and the disclosure of plans for opposition movements and parties, their contacts, and ties. The Gestapo relies on these developments and the materials received to carry out specific arrests, investigative measures, and direct those responsible to concentration camps.
The Gestapo
An important role in the General Directorate of Imperial Security (RSHA) was played by the Fourth Directorate. It was the secret state police of the Third Reich, better known as the Gestapo. Directly, the RSHA departments that were part of the Fourth Directorate were engaged in the fight against sabotage, counterintelligence, opposing enemy propaganda and sabotage, and the extermination of Jews.
The main goal of the Gestapo was the prosecution of dissatisfied and dissenters, those who opposed the power of Adolf Hitler. This department as part of the German RSHA had the broadest possible powers, which became a key and determining tool for conducting punitive operations both within the country and in the occupied territories. In particular, the Gestapo was entrusted with investigating the activities of forces hostile to the regime. At the same time, the work of a member of the Gestapo was removed from the supervision of the courts, in which actions of state authorities could be theoretically appealed. At the same time, the members of this department had the right to imprisonment in a concentration camp or prison without trial.
The composition of the specified management of the German RSHA included departments that were directly involved in the struggle against opponents of the Nazi regime. For example, Division IV A1 specialized in countering Marxists, Communists, war criminals, secret organizations, enemy and illegal propaganda. Division IV A2 was engaged in exposing political fraud, combating counterintelligence and sabotage, and the work of Division IV A3 was focused on confronting oppositionists, reactionaries, liberals, monarchists, traitors and emigrants.
The international military tribunal, which assessed what the RSHA was in fascist Germany, in particular the Gestapo, came to the conclusion that it was an organization that was used by the government for criminal purposes. The main accusations were related to the murders and atrocities in concentration camps, the extermination and persecution of Jews, the excess of permissible power in the occupied territories, the implementation of the slave labor program, the murders and the ill-treatment of prisoners of war.
All officials of this department of the RSHA, as well as other units that developed cases on behalf of the Gestapo, fell into the category of war criminals. For example, this included border police. The International Court of Justice concluded that all members of the Gestapo, without exception, knew about the crimes committed, and therefore were declared war criminals.
Reich crime police
The criminal police of the Third Reich was engaged in the investigation of offenses and crimes, including against morality, fraud and other illegal actions.
The criminal police was the country's main police service. In fact, it was created in Berlin in 1799, several decades later it was divided into defensive and criminal.
In 1936, as a result of a large-scale reorganization of the police, the criminal police and the Gestapo were merged into a security police called the ZIPO.
In the structure of the RSHA, criminal police existed from 1939 to 1945. The first department was engaged in the prevention of violations and criminal policy. It consisted of sectors responsible for women's criminal police, international cooperation, legal issues and search, as well as crime prevention.
The second department specialized in the investigation of fraud, especially dangerous crimes, crimes against morality. The third section brought together experts in search and identification, in the fourth - on documentation, fingerprinting, biological and chemical analysis.
The first leader of the criminal police as part of the RSHA was Arthur Nebe, Lieutenant General, SS SSG. During the war, he led the Einsatzgruppe, which exterminated Jews, Communists and Gypsies in Belarus. In total, 46 thousand people were killed under his direct command.
In July 1944, he became one of the participants in the conspiracy aimed at overthrowing Hitler. After the failure, he managed to escape. In January 1945, his mistress Adelheid Gobbin, who collaborated with the Berlin police, issued him. He was sentenced to death by hanging.
From June 1944 to May 1945, the criminal police were led by Friedrich Panzinger. Instead of Heaven, who participated in the July conspiracy, he headed the Fifth Directorate of the RSHA until the fall of the Third Reich. After the surrender of the German government, he successfully hid for some time. In November 1946, he was arrested by the Soviet occupation forces. Sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 1955, issued to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany, worked in the foreign intelligence service.
External LED
The Sixth Directorate specialized in intelligence operations in Eastern and Western Europe, in the USA, the USSR, Great Britain, and also in the countries of South America.
In the activities of the SD, the great attention of the military tribunal was riveted on the role of Schellenberg in the RSHA. This is the chief of foreign intelligence, who was born in Saarbrücken in 1910. He entered the University of Bonn, where he first studied at the Faculty of Medicine, but then, at the insistence of his father, concentrated on studying law. It was one of the faculty of law who persuaded him to join the SS and the NSDAP, explaining that it would be easier for him to build a successful career. Schellenberg's work on the development of German law interested Heydrich, who offered him a job in his department.
The name of this officer is associated with all the major intelligence operations conducted by the Third Reich. In 1939, he underwent surgery, which later became known as the "Venlo Incident." As a result, the working methods of the British special services, their interaction with the Dutch special services and the German opposition were revealed. Then Schellenberg took an active part in the liquidation of the Soviet intelligence network, known as the "Red Three", operating in Switzerland.
At the end of World War II, when the defeat of the Nazis became inevitable, came into contact with Western intelligence agencies. In May 1945, he arrived in Copenhagen with the aim of starting peace negotiations, then went to Stockholm with official powers to conclude peace. However, Schellenberg's mediation failed, since the British command was categorically against his participation in the negotiations.
When it became known about the surrender of Germany, Schellenberg lived for a while in a villa in Sweden. Already in June, the Allies secured his extradition as a war criminal. At the Nuremberg trials, all charges were dropped from him, except for membership in criminal organizations. As a result, Schellenberg was sentenced to six years in prison in 1949. However, in prison, he spent only about a year and a half, after which he was released for health reasons. He died in Turin at the age of 42. He had a number of serious illnesses; shortly before his death, he was preparing for liver surgery.
Documentation Services
Finally, the Seventh Directorate was responsible for the documentation. In particular, there were departments for the processing and study of press materials, communications services and a help desk.
Division B was involved in the processing, preparation, and decryption of data on Jews, Masons, church and political organizations, and Marxists. Conducted research on international and intra-German issues.
Reinhard Heydrich
The first head of the RSHA was the police general, SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich. He was born in Saxony in 1904. He was one of the initiators of the so-called "final solution of the Jewish question", coordinated the struggle with the internal enemies of the Third Reich.
He joined the NSDAR in 1931, and, together with the militants of the assault troops, was directly involved in the battles with the communists and socialists. Having met Himmler, he set forth his own vision for the creation of an intelligence service. The Reichsfuhrer SS liked these proposals; he commissioned Heydrich to create a security service that would become the future SD. At first, this organization was primarily engaged in collecting incriminating materials on people who occupied a significant position in society, as well as discrediting political opponents.
In September 1939, he became the first head of the Main Directorate of Imperial Security. Two years later, he was appointed Acting Reich Protector of Moravia and Bohemia. Immediately began to conduct a tough and uncompromising policy towards the local population. The first thing he ordered was to close all synagogues on the territory of his protectorate, and by his order the concentration camp Theresienstadt was created, which was intended for Czech Jews, who were gathered there before being sent to death camps. At the same time, he tried to take measures to establish contacts with the local population. To do this, he increased the nutritional standards and wages of workers, reorganized social security systems.
He became a victim of an assassination attempt during Operation Anthropoid on May 27, 1942. He was operated on, but died a few days later from anemic shock.
Heinrich Himmler
After the death of Heydrich, the acting head of the Main Directorate of Imperial Security from June 1942 to January 1943 was Heinrich Himmler.
This is one of the most famous and influential figures of the Third Reich. In parallel, he was the Reichsfuhrer SS, the Reichsleiter, the chief of the German police, the imperial commissioner for the consolidation of the German people.
He was born in Munich in 1900. During the First World War he was part of the reserve battalion, did not take direct part in the battles. In 1923 he joined the party, two years later he joined the SS. In 1929, Hitler was appointed Reichsfuhrer organization. He spent sixteen years in this position, completely reorganizing the SS. It was under him that the battalion of their three hundred fighters turned into one of the most influential military organizations in Europe, which included about one million people.
It is interesting that throughout his life he showed interest in occultism, included esoteric practices in the everyday life of SS members, substantiated the Nazi racial policy, he himself was a supporter of neopaganism.
It was Himmler who created the Einsatzgroups, which were engaged in the massacres of civilians in the USSR and occupied countries of Eastern Europe. He answered the work of concentration camps. By his order, about six million Jews were killed, up to half a million Roma and about one million other prisoners.
His life journey ended ingloriously. Realizing the inevitability of defeat, he began negotiations with the countries of Western Europe that were part of the anti-Hitler coalition. Upon learning of this, Hitler removed him from all his posts by issuing an arrest warrant. Himmler accepted an unsuccessful escape attempt, was detained by the British. In conclusion, committed suicide in May 1945.
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Until the fall of the Third Reich, the chief in the RSHA building remained the police general, Obergruppenführer SS Ernst Kaltenbrunner. He was born in Austria-Hungary in 1903.
He was a lawyer, joined the political activities of the Nazis in 1930. About six months was detained by the Austrian authorities for Nazi activities. He was later accused of high treason, but received only six months in prison and a ban on legal activity. For these arrests and serving a prison sentence, he was awarded the Order of the Blood by the Nazi authorities, one of the main party awards of the national socialist German work of the party.
In 1934, he took part in a putsch, during which the Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dolphus was killed. When the Anschluss took place in 1938, he began to make a swift career in the Gestapo. In particular, he was responsible for the functioning of concentration camps. In January 1943, he replaced Himmler as head of the RSHA, since he could not cope with the large number of duties assigned to him in this and other structures of the Third Reich.
At the very end of the war he was arrested by American troops when he was in Austria.At the Nuremberg trials he was among the accused, appeared before the International Military Tribunal. For numerous crimes against civilians he was sentenced to death by hanging.
The sentence was carried out in October 1946. It is known that just before his death he said one phrase: "Happily get out, Germany." After that, a hood was thrown over his head.