Weimar and Nazi Germany (1918-1939): The SD (Sicherheitsdienst)

The SD stood for Sicherheitsdienst or Security Force. The focus for the was to monitor and challenges threats to the party directly, rather than the government. It was created in 1931 by Himmler as a method of monitoring opponents to the party. Himmler made fellow Nazi colleague, Reinhard Heydrich the leader of the SD.

It was the main job of the SD to catalogue all threats to the National Socialist Party, and the Reich government from both Germans and those in foreign countries. To emphasis the importance of the SD to the Nazi Party these records of all threats was kept in the Nazi Offices in different localities.

The SD was feared through their ability to involve themselves in any part of the life of ordinary Germans. Even suspicion of illegal and subversive activities could bring the wrath of the SD down upon citizens. Most intelligence was carried out by local field offices, and if it was deemed to be important it would be sent to the offices in Berlin.

Ordinary Germans would have struggled to fight off the SD if they were accused as the SD believed that they were guilty until they could be proved innocent. However, as many of those suspected were sent to prison and the evidence was kept by the SD, this made it very difficult to fight off.