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The Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) was a new agency created by Heinrich Himmler in September 1939, shortly after the German invasion of Poland. The office formalized the relationship between the SS intelligence service (SD) and the Security Police, which consisted of the Kripo (Criminal Police) and Gestapo. The RSHA was an ideologically radical and brutal institution responsible for coordinating and perpetrating many aspects of the Holocaust.
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Introduction to the HolocaustArticle
Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939Article
Mass Shootings at Babyn Yar (Babi Yar)Article
World War II: In DepthDiscussion Question
What does war make possible?Article
The British Policy of Appeasement toward Hitler and Nazi GermanyArticle
Reich Security Main Office (RSHA)Article
The Role of Academics and TeachersArticle
University Student Groups in Nazi GermanyLearn more about personal experiences during the Holocaust
Explore a timeline of events that occurred before, during, and after the Holocaust.
How and why was the Holocaust possible?