Ok there is a Reaserch project I have to do for school. It has to do with the holocust. And the topic I chose was called "Third Reich Power Groups- Gestapo (does that stand for any thing BTW?), SA, SD, and SS." Now I have heard of the other three but I have never heard nor read anything about the SD.:confused: Could someone tell me what they are?

Gestapo is a shortened version of Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police I'm told)

SD stood for Sicherheitsdienst which meant Security Service and was a branch of the military dealing specifically with intelligence.

Oh thanks always wondered if that stood for something. And a hearty thanks for the info on the SD. :D :) Intel huh? Would explain why I never heard of them.

http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/Gestapo.html

If you need the source, that's where I got it from :) I pretty much knew what each was, but not exactly the spelling of the german :D

I hope the fact that it comes from the Jewish Virtual Library doesn't make it a biased source though :lol: ;)

Head of the SD was, IIRC Reinhardt Heydrich.

NO I think he was the head of the SS.

@privatehudson: Again you have my thanks :)

Originally posted by MarineCorps
NO I think he was the head of the SS.


he was the head of reich main security office-RSHA, it combined the sd, gestapo, crimminal police and foreign intellligence

head of ss was himmler

interesting tidbit--as head of sd in 1937, heydrich fed soviet agents false info that led stalin to kill off half his officer corp in his purges