Page "Gestapo" Paragraph 3

As part of the deal in which Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Hermann Göring — future commander of the Luftwaffe and an influential Nazi Party official — was named Interior Minister of Prussia.

This gave him command of the largest police force in Germany.

Soon afterward, Göring detached the political and intelligence sections from the police and filled their ranks with Nazis.

On 26 April 1933, Göring merged the two units as the Gestapo.

He originally wanted to name it the Secret Police Office (), but discovered the German initials " GPA " would be too similar to the Soviet GPU.