Herman Goring who was the Prussian prime minister created the Gestapo. It was given the rank of a higher police. When the Gestapo was first created its main purpose was to eliminate political opponents to the Nazi party. Goring strongly supported the Gestapo as is apparent in this quote, “The creation of a secret state police was a necessity. You may recognize the importance attributed to the fact that the prime minister (Goring) has made himself head of the department...”

    The Gestapo was being used to help put and keep nazis in power. One thing they did was went and marked ballots in disguise to find out who voted against the nazi party. If the Gestapo officials were sent to court than Hitler would pardon them.

    The Gestapo were also in charge of rounding up Jews and making them emigrate or sending them to death camps. Adolf Eichmann headed this department. The number of Jews leaving the country got so high that bordering countries refused to issue visas to Jewish emigrants. The Nazi officials also made a central office of emigration. Jews ran it and the Gestapo sent directions for how many Jews were to be emigrated for that week. If they didn’t get enough they were punished harshly.

   In 1936-1938 laws were made giving the Gestapo power. On February 10,1936 the basic law for the Gestapo was made by Goring. The law said that the Gestapo were supposed to be investigating and combating all things against the state. Also in 1936 the Gestapo merged with the S.D. and the Kripo creating the R.S.H.A. Reinhard Heydrich commanded this unit. On May 17,1936 Heinrich Himmler was made head of the head of police which included the Gestapo. On march 17,1937 a law was made making officials of the Gestapo direct officials of the Reich. On the same date a law gave the Gestapo authority to make investigations on attacks on the Nazi party as well as on the State. In 1938 a law was made so that the Gestapo could not be sent to court for their actions.

    Now that the Gestapo were more powerful, and the war was about to start Jews were treated much more harshly. Many were sent to concentration or death camps. Others were put in “protective” custody. The Gestapo were taught torture techniques to use on prisoners. Goring describes this all in a quote, “... this instrument which is so feared by enemies of the State has contributed most to the fact that today there can no talk of a Communist or Marxist (or Jewish) danger in Germany...”

   That is how the Gestapo came into power and how they used it. When the Gestapo existed they killed million of people. When in trial for war crimes they were ruled a criminal organization and destroyed.