Police State

• SS

  Led by Heinrich himmler in 1929

  More power due to the Enabling Act 1933

  Had 250,000 men in 1939

  Racially pure bodyguards

  Carried out Knight of the Long Knives
• Gestapo

  Branch of the SS

  Led by Heydrich, and got unlimited power in 1936

  Had 30,000 plains clothes officers in 1939 ---> to spy on citizens
• SD

  Branch of SS, intelligence agency also run by Heydrich

  Had 6000 members in 1940

  Made list for night of the long knives
• Concentration camps

  Run by Gestapo

  There were 6 camps in 1939 - holding 20,000 prisoners

  People were classified into groups, red triangle = political prisioner
• Courts

  Trial by Jury was abolished and replaced by the people's court in 1934 ---> tried the treasonous cases

  Every Lawyer had to join German Lawyers Front in 1933 = background checks
• Judges

  Had to swear an oath to the Nazi state

  Were handpicked for the peoples court, usually antisemitic

  Freisler gave 90% of cases the guilty charge

  cases involving the death penalty rose from 3 to 46