What mistakes do students make with The role of the Gestapo, the SS and concentration camps?

Confusing the SS and the SA. The SA was the original paramilitary wing purged in 1934, while the SS became the main security force. Assuming concentration camps in 1933-39 were extermination camps. They were primarily for political prisoners and forced labour during this period. Believing the Gestapo had millions of officers. They were actually a relatively small force that relied heavily on denunciations from ordinary citizens.

Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History

Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016

Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state:…

Full specification wording

Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state: The role of the Gestapo, the SS and concentration camps.

The Nazi police state relied on terror to eliminate opposition.

Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on 24 September 2026.

Point 1 of 2
4 key terms

Study notes

From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

The idea

What earns the marks

Identify the SS as the overarching security organisation led by Heinrich Himmler.
Explain the Gestapo's role as a secret police force relying on civilian informers to root out opposition.
Describe the purpose of early concentration camps as brutal prisons for political opponents and trade unionists.
Analyse how the combined use of these organisations created a climate of fear and compliance across Germany.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

Confusing the SS and the SA.
Put it right: The SA was the original paramilitary wing purged in 1934, while the SS became the main security force.
Assuming concentration camps in 1933-39 were extermination camps.
Put it right: They were primarily for political prisoners and forced labour during this period.
Believing the Gestapo had millions of officers.
Put it right: They were actually a relatively small force that relied heavily on denunciations from ordinary citizens.

Exam tips

Use specific examples, such as Dachau, to illustrate the early use and purpose of concentration camps.
Emphasise the psychological impact of the Gestapo, noting that the fear of informers was as effective as the police themselves.
Link the roles of the SS, Gestapo and camps together to explain how the 'police state' functioned as a cohesive system of control.

Try the lesson

The start of the Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state: The role of the Gestapo, the SS and concentration camps. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

Have a go first

What was the primary role of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany?

Tip: press 1 to 4 to choose

Listen

The Nazi police state relied on terror to eliminate opposition. The SS, led by Heinrich Himmler, grew from Hitler's bodyguard into the primary instrument of internal security, overseeing all police forces. The Gestapo, the secret state police under Reinhard Heydrich, operated without judicial oversight to identify and arrest political opponents. They relied heavily on civilian informers to create an atmosphere of pervasive fear. Those arrested were often sent to concentration camps, such as Dachau, which initially incarcerated political prisoners like communists. These camps subjected inmates to brutal forced labour and ideological 're-education', serving as a powerful deterrent against any resistance to the Nazi regime. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify the SS as the overarching security organisation led by Heinrich Himmler. Explain the Gestapo's role as a secret police force relying on civilian informers to root out opposition. Describe the purpose of early concentration camps as brutal prisons for political opponents and trade unionists. Analyse how the combined use of these organisations created a climate of fear and compliance across Germany. Exam tip: Use specific examples, such as Dachau, to illustrate the early use and purpose of concentration camps.

See it

A flowchart showing the structure of the Nazi police state. At the top, the SS led by Heinrich Himmler leads to two boxes: one showing it oversaw all police forces, and one showing the Gestapo, the secret state police under Reinhard Heydrich. The Gestapo box leads to a box saying it operated without judicial oversight, which leads to identifying and arresting political opponents. A separate box for civilian informers points into the Gestapo box. The arrest box leads to concentration camps such as Dachau, which leads to brutal forced labour and ideological re-education, which leads to a deterrent against resistance. The civilian informers box also points directly to the deterrent against resistance. — Shows how the SS, the Gestapo, civilian informers and concentration camps combined to create a climate of fear and compliance.

Key words

Say what each word means before you turn the card.

The police state

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The SS

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The Gestapo

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Concentration camps

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See every definition

The police state: A system relying on terror to eliminate opposition, in which the SS oversaw all police forces and the Gestapo arrested political opponents without judicial oversight.
The SS: Led by Heinrich Himmler, it grew from Hitler's bodyguard into the primary instrument of internal security, overseeing all police forces.
The Gestapo: The secret state police under Reinhard Heydrich, which operated without judicial oversight to identify and arrest political opponents and relied heavily on civilian informers.
Concentration camps: Brutal prisons such as Dachau, which initially incarcerated political prisoners like communists and subjected inmates to forced labour and ideological 're-education' as a deterrent against resistance.

Label the diagram

Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A flowchart showing the structure of the Nazi police state. At the top, the SS led by Heinrich Himmler leads to two boxes: one showing it oversaw all police forces, and one showing the Gestapo, the secret state police under Reinhard Heydrich. The Gestapo box leads to a box saying it operated without judicial oversight, which leads to identifying and arresting political opponents. A separate box for civilian informers points into the Gestapo box. The arrest box leads to concentration camps such as Dachau, which leads to brutal forced labour and ideological re-education, which leads to a deterrent against resistance. The civilian informers box also points directly to the deterrent against resistance.

1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3

0 of 3 labelled

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Study notes

The idea

What earns the marks

Common mistakes and how to put them right

Exam tips

Try the lesson

Have a go first

Listen

See it

Key words

Label the diagram

Test your understanding of Option 31: Key topic 3: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933–39 - 2 The police state: The role of the Gestapo, the SS and concentration camps.

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