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Hitlers krigare #8

Gestapo: Dějiny Hitlerovy tajné policie 1933-45

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From its creation in 1933 until Hitler's death in May 1945, anyone living in Nazi-controlled territory lived in fear of a visit from the Gestapo--Geheime Staatpolizei--or Secret State Police. Young or old, rich or poor, nobody was beyond the attentions of a brutally efficient organization that spread its malign influence into every corner of Europe in the wake of the all-conquering German armed forces.

The Gestapo is a detailed history of Heinrich Himmler's evil organization, whose 20.000 members were responsible for the internal security of the Reich. Under its auspices, hundreds of thousands of civilians, resistance fighters, and spies in occupied Europe were brutalized, tortured, and murdered, and many, many more were deported to almost certain death in concentrations camps. The book describes the Gestapo's transformation into a vital element of the Nazi regime, operating from the most feared address in the Reich---Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse 8.

Based upon the Gestapo's own archives and eyewitness accounts, the author charts the development of the organization, its key figures, such as Reinhard Heydrich and Heinrich Muller, its brutal methods, and how the Gestapo dealt with internal security, including the various unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Hitler. The Gestapo is a lively and expert account of this notorious but little-understood secret police that terrorized hundreds of thousands of people across Europe.

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2003

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Rupert Butler

52 books8 followers

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5 stars
34 (20%)
4 stars
54 (32%)
3 stars
61 (37%)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Sharmayne Bishop.
57 reviews
January 19, 2024
"The Gestapo: A History of Hitler's Secret Police" by Rupert Butler is a challenging yet informative exploration into one of the darkest chapters of history. My rating for this book is three out of five stars, reflecting the difficulty of the content and its substantial informational value.

Butler delves into the history of the Gestapo with meticulous detail, providing a comprehensive overview of Hitler's secret police force. The depth of research is evident throughout the book, offering readers a wealth of information about the organization's origins, operations, and impact on individuals and communities during the Nazi era.

However, the challenging nature of the content, detailing the atrocities committed by the Gestapo, can make the book difficult to read. Butler doesn't shy away from the brutality and human suffering inflicted by this notorious secret police force, making it an emotionally heavy and, at times, distressing read.

Despite its challenging nature, the book's informative value cannot be overlooked. It serves as an essential resource for those seeking a thorough understanding of the Gestapo's role in implementing Hitler's regime and the widespread terror it instilled.

In conclusion, "The Gestapo" by Rupert Butler is a hard-hitting and informative read that provides valuable insights into a dark period of history. While the challenging content may make it a difficult book to navigate emotionally, its wealth of information contributes significantly to the understanding of the Gestapo's impact during Hitler's reign.
Profile Image for Eryck.
24 reviews6 followers
March 8, 2018
Highlights-- the book enlightens us to where the underground resistance was strong, such as Poland , France and Russia and where it failed, Norway.
Tells how arrogant Gestapo leader Hedrich thought no one would dare attack him, till the resistance did.
A lot of rounding up, torturing, harassing and killing enemies of the state and particularlyJews. While full of revealing, interesting and unique situations, I'm more fixated on the warring parts of world war two than the policing and keeping order albeit in murderously disgusting ways. Some of what the Gestapo did is just hard to read.
Tells how the Nazi party was an avenue to success for Germans at the time of unemployment, runaway inflation and political turmoil. The Nazis perfected the art of fake news, called propaganda, turning their citizens against others.
Talks about Night of the Long Knives, which was akin to the Republican leaders one night deciding to kill all the Democratic leaders.
Touches on the Night of th Broken Glass--an attack on Jews and their businesses. also the Anschluss---Austria forced reunification with Germany.
A good historical account of the Nazi police bullies and their evil ways including Himmlers obsession and culpability to the Jewish "final solution".
Profile Image for Constantin Vasilescu.
260 reviews7 followers
February 22, 2021
Insuficient de coerentă încât să lămurească hăţişul instituţional al poliţiei politice şi serviciilor de spionaj germane. E, mai mult, o prezentare comprimată a represiunii naţional-socialiste şi a tentativelor de asasinare a lui Adolf Hitler. Dacă n-ai auzit de Kaltenbrunner, Muller sau alţi oameni importanţi din RSHA, merge. O carte de popularizare, fără subtilităţi de interpretare.
Profile Image for noryx2000.
10 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2025
Nota 5/10

O livro narra, de certa forma, a história das principais organizações do governo nazista que sedimentaram o poder de Hitler no aparato estatal da Alemanha. Destaca bem as principais figuras como Himmler, Heyderich, Eichmann, Göring entre outros que foram responsáveis pelas atrocidades cometidas durante todo o governo de Hitler e como chegaram as suas posições, de onde vieram e porque faziam o que faziam.

No entanto, o livro me pareceu um tanto sem rumo. Por diversas vezes ele joga uma informação, um nome, um título, uma instituição e não da um contexto maior para explicar aquilo. Nesse sentido, ele não segue uma lógica no discorrer dos capítulos (quero dizer, nem cronológica, nem regional, nem temática), então em certas partes, apesar de ser um assunto interessante e evidentemente bem pesquisado, se torna um tanto maçante de ler.
Profile Image for Gabriela.
68 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2016
É bem ilustrado, tem quadros para explicar melhor algumas coisas, mas achei meio enfadonho. Tanto que havia começado a ler anos atrás e abandonei, mas como não gosto de abandonar livros, resolvi recomeçar.

O conteúdo em si é interessante, tem bastante informação sobre a Gestapo, a SS, também sobre o alto comando nazista. Porém, a ordem das coisas é um pouco confusa, às vezes ao descrever uma organização ou pessoa o autor vai até lá na frente, tipo 1942, para depois voltar pra 1933. Então, não achei que as ideias ficaram bem encadeadas. Não sei se a culpa dessa (des)organização é do autor, ou da editora do Brasil, que pode ter mexido um pouco nas coisas ao dividir o livro em dois volumes.

Enfim, é preciso ter um pouco de paciência para ler este livro.
Profile Image for Herbert.
425 reviews8 followers
November 22, 2015
Mooi en duidelijk boek dat een overzicht over de Gestapo en anderen geeft. Het is geen topper misschien ook omdat ik al redelijk veel literatuur van deze aard heb gelezen. Toch komen er een aantal nieuwe zaken naar voor welke mijn kennis dan weer verbreden.
Terug naar de Bib ermee en niet echt op de lijst om te kopen.
Profile Image for Mariela.
76 reviews10 followers
February 5, 2014
This book is basically a "behind the scenes" of the Holocaust.
Profile Image for Rebecka Jäger.
Author 6 books110 followers
August 7, 2019
A true page-turner. Couldn't put the book down. This is history at its best.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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