Roughly akin to the CIA in the US, the Abwehr was the Intelligence Organization of the Military which pre-war functioned independently of political parties or aims. As the Third Reich gained power, the effort to politicize the Abwehr into Nazi goals became evident; but only partially succeeded as Hitler formed new Strategies and Offices for Intelligence gathering, functioning under the control of the SS. Along with some private German citizens and organizations, certain members of the Abwehr later in the War, fearing for Germany's safety, solicited support in Peace negotiations from the Vatican. Shortly after most were arrested, including the evangelical Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Delegate of the Fuehrer for the Total Supervision of the Intellectual and Ideological Training and Education of the Party, or [Beauftragte des Fuehrers fuer die Ueberwachung der gesamten geistigen und weltansschaulichen Schulung und Erziehung der NSDAP]

The Bureau for Jewish Affairs was a subdivision of a larger organization which categorized and collected information on ideological and religious groups which the Reich saw as subversive or potentially subversive. These included Freemasonry, Political Catholicism and Protestantism, and Judaism among others. The Bureau for Jewish Affairs came to be headed by Adolph Eichman before and during the war years, and was responsible for detailed information regarding Jewish culture, Hebrew, and political information. The Bureau later directed the massive efforts of Judenrein, including deportations (see IVB₄) and RSHA

Hitlerjugendor the Hitler Youth Party, was partly a Scout-like organization and partly a youth para-military training organization. Headed by von Schirach, it was well-funded, holding national and international conferences, often criticized by members of Hitler's high command. The aim of the Party was thorough and complete indoctrination of Nazi values, philosophies and politics as well as a training ground for leaders and soldiers for the German Nazi Army; it also grounded Children in Nazi social formations and ideals. Attendance was mandatory and those choosing to abstain were met with persecution. When premilitary training began in the HJ the divisions included:HJ Flying Units, HJ Naval Units,HJ Motorized Units, Signal Units, Medical Units, Musical Units. (See Hitlerjugend)

Forerunner to Bureau of Jewish affairs, the I Bureau was a government agency in Germany which served as an intelligence gathering resource. Eichmann worked there in his early years cataloging volumes of information on those that the National Socialists, or Nazis would see as their political/philosophical adversaries. Included in the I Bureau was the Freemasonry Museum, a section on Judaism, the Church and others found to have "degenerate" causes by the Reich. Eichmann under Muller, served both in data collection on freemasonry and later became the prime person in research on the Jews. (see I-Bureau)

The I Bureau (above), was cordened into 'divisions, each of which handled what was perceived as a different 'threat' to the Reich. The other divisions handled Freemasonry, Political Catholicism, Political Protestantism, Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious/philosophical/political views which were thought to pose a potential overthrow of Reich ideals. IVB₄ was the 4th division of the Bureau which was eventually headed by Adolf Eichmann. It came to be known as the "Bureau for Jewish Affairs" and encompassed massive cataloging of ofall things Jewish. In conjunction with Reich Security, this division handled ALL requisition and supply in the deportations, concentration camps and other war efforts. IVB₄ handled requistions for the trains, the food (or lack thereof) for supplies of Zyklon B, the gas pellets used in the gas chamber, and all other instruments of genocide: all of which passed eventually through Eichmann's hands. It also handled "intelligence" operations such as forays to Israel and other foreign countries to "gather information." (See IV B₄)

Chamber of Culture

The Luftwaffe was the German Air Force. Headed by Goring, it was known for its deadly efficiency. The Luftwaffe was the central element in the Blitzkrieg on Great Britain which signified a rapid escalation of the War. Goring was later taken captive, tried at Nuremberg and sentenced, but committed suicide before execution.

The Military Headquarter directing the Wehrmacht, traditionally independent. While the military was closely tied to the State in Germany, the strong Prussian attitudes towards the military prevailed even during and after the Weimar Republic. The OKW was created by the Third Reich in response to the autocratic control of the OKH. Under the command of Brauchitsch as Commander in Chief in 1939. In 1941, in Operation Barbarossa, the OKH opposed a strategy of Hitler in taking Moscow. After a month of contention, Hitler won out but the result was not optimal, and shortly after, Brauchitsch died, and Hitler took control of and leadership over the Wehrmacht.^OKH

The Military Headquarter designed to circumvent the independent power of the OKH and other military auspices over the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and xx founded in 1938. The OKW answered only to Hitler and did not carry out directives without his approval. The OKW was ordered to carry out the invasion of Norway in 1940. Because of its success in circumventing the OKH later in 1941 it managed invasions in Finland and North Africa^OKW,OKHRalph Zuljan OKH vs OKW in Articles on War OKW was de

While censorship was maintained on several levels most notably the Reich Propaganda Ministry, this office, the Party Examining Commission was the determining office for whether literature met Nazi standards, somewhat like the Vatican "Imprimateur".

The RKK oversaw registration and performance of all artists, musicians, thespians and literary persons in the Reich, which by 1933-35, became only those of Aryan descent. The RKK included the subdivisions of Reichskammer der bildenden Kunste (Reich Chamber of Fine Arts). Reichsmusikkammer [Reich Music Chamber], Reichstheaterkammer [Reich Theater Chamber], Reichsfilmkammer [Reich Film Chamber] Reichsschrifttumskammer [Reich Chamber of Literature]and Reichsrundfunkkammer [Reich Radio Chamber]

The "Reich Music Chamber" was instigated in 1933-4 to coordinate the new plans the Nazis had for the Musicians of Germany. Among other directives, all atonal music and music the new leadership considered degenerate was banned by the officiating chamber. Further, one of the directives of the Chamber was that all Musicians must be registered with the State: one of the requirements was German citizenship which would be based on Aryan racial inclusion: meaning that Jews could not register. Jewish musicians were required also to register with the state if they wished to perform, but few put their names on the registry at a time when such registrations meant deportation and confiscation of property without warning.

Office of the Reich Press Chief

The Nazi Party Propaganda Office: Headed by Goebbels, also called RPL,and ,, Reichministry for Propaganda, the office directed domestic, foreign, press and military fronts in what is rightly considered the most extensive propaganda and information control campaign in history. Goebbels, with a doctorate in literary criticism, used language, slogans, innuendo, syntax and strategy in keeping German morale high even when losing, keeping demoralizing information away from the domestic front, influencing and controlling even the foreign press, including the US, influencing US popular opinion in favor of Germany through native operatives,

The trains had to run on time, the lists of human cargo for deportation had to be recorded and archived, supplies had to be transported to the camps. The RSHA was the organization reponsible for all of this. RSHA was overseen by IVB4, and ultimately by Eichmann. Those who coordinated this arm of the Nazi War Machine were charged with War Crimes at the end of the war. The trains which transported millions to their deaths, were part of the daily business of RSHA, which also served in the procurement and distribution of daily supplies to the Killings Centers, including that of Zyklon-B.

A special division of the Hitlerjugend which were to be trained for the SS as death-headers, officiating in the Killing Centers or Concentration Camps.

The Todt Organization, named for its founder, was an organization of para-military construction crews numbering in the hundreds of thousands of employees, who built and maintained structures, bridges, weapon support materials and similar structures for the military in Germany. They were described as co-soldiers by Hitler, providing a critical military service.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES

¹Megargee, Geoffrey P. Inside Hitler's High Command; University Press of Kansas:Lawrence Kansas; 2000.

²von Jochen & Claus.....(Eds.): Eichmann Interrogation: Transcripts from the Archives of the Israeli Police: ;Ferar,Straus & ;1983

Militarization of Nazi Organizations

⁴Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume 1 CHAPTER VII - MEANS USED BY THE NAZI CONSPIRATORS IN GAINING CONTROL OF THE GERMAN STATE