How the Police Were Viewed During Hitler’s Rule in Nazi Germany
The prejudiced and discriminatory ideologies adopted by Nazi Germany were reflected in the way the police force was viewed and ran during this time. Adolf Hitler, who served as the nation’s leader and dictator at the time, was a proponent of racial hygiene and enforced strict laws that resulted in the severe subjugation of certain social classes.
The police force in Nazi Germany was directly responsible for the large scale arrests, deportations and violation of human rights that occurred during Hitler’s rule. The Nazi police force carried out mass roundup of various minority groups, based on Hitler’s scheme to create a ‘supreme race’ composed of Aryans, or people of Germanic descent. People of Jewish and non-Aryan decent were routinely persecuted, as were people with mental and physical disabilities, depending on their importance to the regime and their projected contributory power to the ideals of a master race.
To achieve Nazi ideology, the police were used as a tool for oppression. Police forces were expected to assist with tasks such as mass deportations, executions, and other activities that directly contradicted the laws stated on the Geneva Convention. Police forces were assigned tasks such as monitoring public behaviour and ensuring public adherence to Nazi law, which aided in the systematic discrimination imposed by Hitler.
Hitler himself saw law enforcement as a tool of oppression, and imparted his fascist ideologies directly on the officers of the law. In his 1936 speech to the police he said, “You must make sure that the sentiment that existing laws are binding is deeply rooted in all classes of the population. Your loyalty must belong to the one state, to the one leader, and to the thousand-year Reich.”
The police were designed in such a way that they were directly under the control of the Nazi regime. In 1934, the police force was absorbed into the Schutzstaffel, which was a paramilitary organization meant to protect the public from any threats or disturbances in the public order. This was a move to ensure that police officers were entirely loyal to the Nazi regime.
Under the control of the Schutzstaffel, the police were excluded from any power to challenge the rules of the Third Reich. The police force became an instrument of Nazi terror, used to arrest political dissidents, suppress labor parties and suppress minorities.
Internal Conflicts between High-level Officials of the Nazi Regime
The police were often constrained during Hitler’s rule due to the internal conflicts between high-level leaders. The infighting between senior officials of the Nazi regime, such as the Gestapo, Abwehr and SS, often led to confused reporting of events and the contradictory instructions of higher-ups. This consequently affected the efficiency of the police force.
The infighting among senior leaders also influenced the police’s role in the implementation of Hitler’s policies. For example, Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second-in-command, often acted as a liability to Hitler’s relationship with the police force. As the head of the Gestapo and head of the Nazi Party’s Air Force, Göring often tasked the police with implementing his own set of policies, which usually involved seizing the property of Jews living in Germany.
This created problems among the police force, as they had to abide by both Göring’s orders and the policies set in place by Hitler. This often put them in a difficult position, as they had to choose which set of orders to follow, or even worse, having to enforce conflicting orders. Thus, it can be argued that the infighting between high-level leaders of the Nazi regime inhibited the effectiveness of the police force in upholding Hitler’s policies.
The Extent of Police Involvement During Hitler’s Rule in Nazi Germany
While it is evident that police forces were involved in carrying out horrifying acts during Hitler’s rule in Nazi Germany, it is also important to note that not all police officers were complicit in these acts of cruelty. Though the Nazi police force was heavily involved in acts of oppression, there were still instances of police officers carrying out acts of disobedience, such as accepting bribes and refusing to carry out onerous tasks.
Carried out in secret, acts of insubordination by police officers demonstrate that it was not only possible, but also significant, to challenge Hitler’s agenda while still playing a role in the police force. Defying orders was risky, but still many officers chose to take the chance in order to exercise some degree of resistance in the face of the oppressive regime.
This goes to suggest that despite their involvement in enforcing Hitler’s totalitarian state, there were still officers who were able to “defend” the police by standing up to the oppressive regime and risking their own safety and livelihoods to do so.
Effects of Hitler’s Rule on the Police Force in Nazi Germany
The German police system under Hitler’s rule was heavily distorted in order to serve the agenda of the Third Reich. While the police rewarded and honored the officers who served loyally, those who disobeyed Nazi ideology were fined and imprisoned. Any perceived dissension against the Nazi regime was severely punished by police forces.
In addition to this, any official of the police service deemed to be unreliable were removed from the force entirely or transferred to other positions, such as administrative and management roles. This goes to show that the Nazi police forces were not only used to enforce the regime’s oppressive agenda, but also to suppress any potential opposition to it.
Inevitably, the impact of Hitler’s rule on the police force can be seen in how it developed after the war. Subsequent to its liberation from Nazi rule, Germany underwent a police reform process which saw the police force being removed from administration by the government and being granted independence. This reform paved the way for the German police system to be subject to oversight by independent bodies and to respect the principles of human rights.
Challenging the Police Force During Hitler’s Rule in Nazi Germany
During Hitler’s time in power, there were several attempts by the public to challenge the police force and its involvement in the oppressive regime. These efforts ranged from protests and demonstrations, to acts of vandalism and sabotage.
One of the most well-known instances of civil disobedience was the 1933 Berlin Oberbürgermeister election, where the non-Nazi candidate Julius Lippert won an overwhelming majority. In response to Lippert’s victory, Hitler had the police force forcefully remove him from office and replace him with a Nazi supporter as the mayor of Berlin.
Another example is the 1933 incident at the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, where a crowd of 8,000 protesters refused to disperse after protesting against the police forces present. In response to the incident, the police force resorted to firing gunshot warnings in order to disperse the protesters.
These stories demonstrate the level of defiance practiced by citizens of Nazi Germany against the oppressive regime. However, it must be noted that these acts of civil disobedience were met with heavy resistance from the police forces, highlighting just how much power the police forces wielded during this tumultuous time in history.
Impact of the Police on Holocaust Victims During Hitler’s Rule
Police forces played a critical role in facilitating the Holocaust by providing input on the logistics and implementation of the mass extermination of Jews and minorities. Police forces provided the manpower for the deportation and confinement camps, where over 6 million Jews and other minorities were killed. Police forces also took part in directly accompanying convoys of transports to the concentration camps.
In addition, police forces were responsible for maintaining public order within the Jewish ghettos. The Polish ghettos were some of the worst hit by police forces, as they were subjected to strict surveillance and punishing regime of daily labour. Police forces were also used to carry out raids and apprehend Jews and other minorities who were attempting to escape the brutal treatment they were subjected to.
While it is evident that the police forces enabled and situated the Holocaust, it is worth noting that in some cases, police officers were a source of hope and aid for victims. Police officers were known to receive bribes from Jewish people in exchange for not following orders from Nazi officials. For many Jews, bribing police officers was often the only way for them to evade capture or deportation.
What’s more, there were police officers who even went as far as helping Jews in their escape attempts, such as the Greek-born Sonderführer Neumeier, who helped in the escape of Greek Jews from Thessaloniki. These acts of bravery and heroism from police officers prove that despite their involvement in the regime, there were instances where they did not simply follow orders, but chose to help save the lives of those in peril.
Documentary and Literary Perspectives on Hitler’s Police Force
The role of the police forces during Hitler’s rule has been documented in various types of literature and media, including documentaries, journals and books. These works provide valuable insights into the role of the police during this turbulent time and allow readers to gain a wider perspective on the subject.
For example, the documentary Hitler’s Police (2012) provides an in-depth look at how the police force operated within the German society during the Third Reich. The documentary also explores how the Gestapo’s activities altered over time and how the police force reacted to Hitler.
Meanwhile, in literature, Arthur Koestler’s novel The Nazi Police State and Omer Bartov’s The Eastern Front 1941-45 offer unique insights into the functioning of the police force and how it functioned within the oppressive framework of the Nazi regime. Such books provide an invaluable perspective on how Nazis used the police force and how they impacted the daily lives of citizens during this time.
Conclusion and Summary
Adolf Hitler did not actively ‘defend’ the police, but instead used them as a tool to enforce his tyrannical regime and carry out his oppressive plans. Hitler specifically directed the police towards the enforcement of his racial hygiene policy which involved mass arrests, deportations and violations of human rights. This caused severe trauma among minority groups and citizens of Germany, with Hitler’s use of the police force being instrumental in facilitating the Holocaust.
Furthermore, internal conflicts between high-level officials and acts of civil disobedience from the public demonstrated the limit of the police force. Nevertheless, there were still cases of police officers who demonstrated acts of courage and bravery in the face of the oppressive Nazi regime. This is evidenced by the accounts of police officers who chose to defy Hitler’s orders and aid victims of the Holocaust.
Documentaries and novels provide a valuable insight into how Hitler manipulated the police force as a tool for oppression. Through such perspectives, we can learn about the complex yet pivotal role of the German police force during Hitler’s rule.
