Following the invasion of Poland, Reinhard Heydrich, Himmler's second in command of the SS, was given control of the new Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) which combined the SS Security Service (SD), Secret State Police (Gestapo), Criminal Police (Kripo), and foreign intelligence service into an enormous centralized organization that would soon terrorize the entire continent of Europe and conduct mass murder on a scale unprecedented in human history.

AMT I - PERSONNEL and ORGANIZATION
Recruitment and assignments for all of RSHA.

AMT II -ADMINISTRATION and FINANCE
Payroll and logistical support for all of RSHA.

II A - Organization and Law
II A1 - Organization
II A2 - Legislation
II A3 - Indemnification
II A4 - Defence
II A5 - Confiscations

II B - Passports
II CA - SIPO Budget
II CB - SD Budget
II D - Technical Matters

AMT III - INTERNAL POLICE INTELLIGENCE

III A - Law and Legal Structures
III B - Racial, Ethnic Matters
III C - Cultural, Religious Matters
III D - Industry, Commerce
III G - High Society

AMT IV - GESTAPO (Geheime Staatspolizei) The German Secret State Police that operated above the law with unlimited powers of arrest throughout the Reich. Organized into six subsections.

IV A - Enemies
IV A1 - Communists
IV A2 - Counter-sabotage
IV A3 - Reactionaries, Liberals
IV A4 - Assassinations

IV B - Sects and Churches
IV B1 - Catholics
IV B2 - Protestants
IV B3 - Freemasons
IV B4 - Jews

IV C - Card Index, Party Affairs

IV D - Occupied Territories
IV D1 - Opponents of the Regime
IV D2 - Churches and Sects
IV D3 - Records and Party Matters
IV D4 - Western Territories
IV D5 - Counter-espionage
IV D6 - Aliens

IV E - Counter-Intelligence
IV E1 - In the Reich
IV E2 - Policy Formation
IV E3 - In the West
IV E4 - In Scandinavia
IV E5 - In the East
IV E6 - In the South

IV F - Frontier Police

AMT V - KRIPO The German Criminal Police with powers of arrest in ordinary police matters.

V A - Preventative Measures
V B - Repressive Measures
V C - Identification
V D - Technical Criminal Institute

AMT VI - EXTERNAL POLICE INTELLIGENCE Operated outside of Germany.

VI A - Organization of Intelligence Services
VI B - Espionage in the West
VI C - Espionage in Russia/Japan
VI D - Espionage in American Sphere
VI E - Espionage in Eastern Europe
VI F - Technical Matters

AMT VII - WRITTEN RECORDS

VII A - Administration
VII B - Evaluation

Copyright © 1996 The History Place™ All Rights Reserved

(Photo credit: US National Archives, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives)

Return to The History Place - World War II Timeline: 1939
The History Place Main Page

Terms of use: Private home/school non-commercial, non-Internet re-usage only is allowed of any text, graphics, photos, audio clips, other electronic files or materials from The History Place.