View source for Reich Main Security Office

== Overview ==
The Reich Main Security Office (''Reichssicherheitshauptamt'' or RSHA) was a [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] organization during [[World War II]]. It was a key component of the security apparatus of the [[Third Reich]], responsible for intelligence, security, and police duties. The RSHA was created in 1939 by [[Heinrich Himmler]], who sought to consolidate the various security departments of the Nazi state into a single, centralized agency.

[[Image:Detail-56946.jpg|thumb|center|Photograph of the Reich Main Security Office building in Berlin, Germany.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-56947.jpg|thumb|center|Photograph of the Reich Main Security Office building in Berlin, Germany.|class=only_on_desktop]]

== History ==
The RSHA was established on September 27, 1939, following the outbreak of World War II. It was formed by merging the security and police agencies of the Nazi state: the [[Gestapo]], the [[Kriminalpolizei]] (Kripo), and the [[Sicherheitsdienst]] (SD). This consolidation was part of Himmler's efforts to centralize control over all aspects of security in the Reich, a goal he had pursued since his appointment as Reichsführer-SS in 1929.

== Structure ==
The RSHA was divided into seven main departments, each with its specific responsibilities. These departments were further subdivided into sections and subsections, reflecting the complex and multifaceted nature of the RSHA's duties.

=== Amt I: Personnel and Organization ===
Amt I was responsible for the administrative tasks of the RSHA, including personnel management, training, and organizational development. It was led by SS-Brigadeführer Bruno Streckenbach.

=== Amt II: Administration, Law, and Finance ===
Amt II handled the RSHA's administrative, legal, and financial affairs. It was overseen by SS-Brigadeführer [[Franz Six]].

=== Amt III: German-Internal Intelligence ===
Amt III, also known as the Inland-SD, was the domestic intelligence branch of the RSHA. It was tasked with monitoring and suppressing opposition to the Nazi regime within Germany.

=== Amt IV: Gestapo ===
Amt IV was the infamous Gestapo, the secret state police of Nazi Germany. It was responsible for political policing and the suppression of opposition to the Nazi regime.

=== Amt V: Criminal Police ===
Amt V, the Kriminalpolizei or Kripo, was the criminal investigation department of the RSHA. It dealt with non-political crimes and was the equivalent of a national detective force.

=== Amt VI: Foreign Intelligence ===
Amt VI, also known as the Ausland-SD, was the foreign intelligence branch of the RSHA. It conducted espionage and counter-espionage operations outside of Germany.

=== Amt VII: Ideological Research and Evaluation ===
Amt VII was responsible for ideological research and evaluation. It monitored and analyzed foreign press and literature for information that could be used in the ideological training of SS members.

== Role in the Holocaust ==
The RSHA played a central role in the implementation of the [[Final Solution]], the Nazi plan for the genocide of the Jews. Amt IV, the Gestapo, was particularly involved in this process, as it was responsible for the deportation of Jews to [[Concentration camp|concentration and extermination camps]].

== Post-War Legacy ==
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the RSHA was declared a criminal organization at the [[Nuremberg Trials]]. Many of its former officials were prosecuted and convicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

== See Also ==
* [[Schutzstaffel]]
* [[Einsatzgruppen]]
* [[Holocaust]]

[[Category:Nazi Germany]]
[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:Holocaust]]