How did Hitler use terror to control Germany?

• Terror- refers Nazis use of violence and intimidation to keep control of the population.
• The SS

  • Led by Heinrich Himmler
  • Initially set up in 1925 as Hitler's personal bodyguard service
  • Later set up concentration camps where 'enemies of the state' were sent.
  • SS were expected to be the example of what the Nazi regime wanted the German race to be (e,g physically fit, tall, blonde and blue eyed.)
  • They're responsible for setting and guarding the concentration camps.
• The Gestapo

  • The Nazis secret police force
  • They monitor the German population for signs of opposition or resistance to Nazi rule.
  • They have tapped phones (listening in on phone calls) and also have permission to torture suspects when trying to gain a confession and can also arrest anyone without warning
  • By 1939, 160,000 people had been arrested.
• The SD

  • An intelligence gathering agency of the SS.
  • Responsible for security of Hitler and other top Nazis
  • Kept card index with details of everyone suspected of being an enemy to the Nazi party.