The Gestapo

• When did the Gestapo become a part of the police force?

  The Gestapo became a part of the police force in 1936 and they were allowed to arrest people who weren't criminals yet as long as they had suspicions they would commit a crime.
• Who led the Gestapo?

  Reinhard Heydrich led the Gestapo.
• What were the Gestapo?

  The Gestapo were a secret police force that wore no uniform; they could arrest people without trial and send them to camps.
• How many people were in the Gestapo by 1939?

  Only 30,00 people were in the Gestapo out of a population of 80 million so they relied heavily on public information and informants.
• How did the Gestapo gather their information?

  They used informants and tapped people's phones.
• In 1939, how many people were arrested for political offences?

  In 1939, 160,000 people were arrested for political offences.
• How were the Gestapo successful?

  They could use torture whilst questioning which would scare people into submission, and they also couldn't be identified in everyday life which made the public fearful.