RSHA Became Lead Agency in the Holocaust Project

RSHA (Reich Security Main Office) became the lead agency in the “Holocaust Project” – although it became evident only almost two years after it was created on September 27, 1939. When Einsatzgruppen run by RSHA began murdering Jews en masse in the “Holocaust by Bullets” right after the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Still, its creation became a giant step on the Road to Holocaust – and a colossal slab in the “slab stack” that less than two years later triggered the “Holocaust Avalanche”. Killing four million European Jews.

All because to successfully implement such a gargantuan (and murderous) project, the Nazis needed the agency that had both the resources to commit serial mass murder – and an extensive experience in doing it on a smaller scale. Only RSHA did foot the bill.

Initially, SS-Reichsf;hrer Heinrich Himmler created RSHA for purely political purposes: to consolidate his power of German security services – both those of the NSDAP and of the German state.

With the formation of the RSHA, Himmler combined under one roof (and under himself) the Nazi Party's SD (SS intelligence service) and the SiPo which was nominally under the Interior Ministry. The SiPo was composed of two sub-departments – Gestapo (political police) and Kripo (Criminal Police).

Officially, the fundamental objective of newly-minted security monster – not unlike Soviet NKVD - was to protect Nazi Germany against internal enemies. Including, obviously, the Jews – hence, it is no surprise that RSHA became the lead agency in the “Holocaust Project”.

This was made official by the (in)famous letter sent by Hermann G;ring (the second-in-command in Nazi Germany acting on direct orders from Hitler) to Reinhard Heydrich (Chief of RSHA) with the order to “bring about a total solution of the Jewish question in the German sphere of influence in Europe”.

In this letter (mandate essentially) he instructed all government agencies of the Third Reich to “cooperate” with Heydrich and (by extension) his RSHA. Which made the Wannsee Conference (organized by RSHA) and its aftermath possible.

RSHA leading role in the “Holocaust Project” was twofold. Its Einsatzgruppen committed most of the murders in “Holocaust by Bullets” and coordinated (via its Jewish office) all activities in the “Holocaust by Gas”.