Nazi Conspiracy & Aggression [Page 949]
The Nazis realized early that without the most drastic
repression of actual and potential opposition they could not
consolidate their power over the German people. Immediately
after Hitler became Chancellor, the conspirators promptly
destroyed civil liberties by issuing the Presidential
Emergency Decree of 28 February 1933 (1390-PS). It was this
decree which was the basis for "Schutzhaft", that is,
"protective custody" -- the power of the Gestapo to imprison
people without judicial proceedings. This is made clear by a
typical order for protective custody:
"Order of Protective Custody. Based on Article 1 of the
Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of
People and State of 28 February 1933 (Reichsgesetzblatt
I, p. 83), you are taken into protective custody in the
interest of public security and order.
"Reason: Suspicion of activities inimical toward the
State." (2499-PS)
[Page 950]
Goering, in a book entitled "Aufbau Einer Nation" and
published in 1934, sought to give the impression that the
camps originally were directed at those whom the Nazis
considered "Communists" and "Social Democrats". At page 89
of this book he stated:
"We had to deal ruthlessly with these enemies of the
State. It must not be forgotten that at the moment of
our seizure of power over 6 million people officially
voted for Communism and about 8 million for Marxism in
the Reichstag elections in March.
"Thus the concentration camps were created, to which we
had to send first thousands of functionaries of the
Communist and Social Democratic parties." (2324-PS)
In practical operations, the power to order confinement was
almost without limit: Frick, in an order which he issued on
25 January 1938, as Minister of Interior, made this clear.
Article 1 of this order provided:
"Protective custody can be decreed as a coercive
measure of the Secret State Police against persons who
endanger the security of the people and the State
through their attitude in order to counter all
aspirations of enemies of the people and State." (1723-
PS) This order further provides: "*** In a summary of
all the previously issued decrees on the cooperation
between the Party and the Gestapo I refer to the
following and ordain:
"1. To the Gestapo has been entrusted the mission by
the Fuehrer to watch over and to eliminate all enemies
of the Party and the National Socialist State as well
as all disintegrating forces of all kinds directed
against both. The successful solution of this mission
forms one of the most essential prerequisite for the
unhampered and frictionless work of the Party. The
Gestapo, in their extremely difficult task, is to be
granted support and assistance in every possible way by
the NSDAP." (1723-PS)
The
original plaintext version
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Volume
I Chapter XI
The Concentration Camp
The Beginning of Protective Custody
(Part 2 of 5)