An Illustrated History of the Gestapo

Butler, Rupert. An Illustrated History of the Gestapo. 1992, 240p. ISBN 0-95271-280-6. Available at 363.2 BUT on the library shelves.

During the Second World War, no organization was as feared or as hated as the Gestapo, the German State Police. First created by grouping together various police and political Nazi units together, the Gestapo went on its efficient way to enforce Nazi laws throughout Germany, then the rest of conquered Europe.

In this book, Butler outlines the rise of this evil organization from minuscule party operators determined to enforce party discipline to a gargantuan state apparatus controlling most aspects of German life. Led by Himmler, head of the SS, the Gestapo was directly responsible for the arrest and execution of Jews, political prisoners, and anyone else they suspected of being anti-Nazis. In the catalog of evil committed by humans on fellow humans, the Gestapo clearly stands at the top.