Policing in East Germany in the wake of the Second World War
This article focuses on the tremendous upheaval experienced by Germans in the Soviet Occupation Zone after 1945, and how the new ‘People’s Police’ developed during the difficult postwar years. Initially, when the needs of the population for police protection were greatest, the new police force was l...
Gardado en:
| Publicado en: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/chs, |
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| Autor Principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
| Publicado: |
Crime, Histoire & Sociétés
2009
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| Acceso en liña: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Résumé: | This article focuses on the tremendous upheaval experienced by Germans in the Soviet Occupation Zone after 1945, and how the new ‘People’s Police’ developed during the difficult postwar years. Initially, when the needs of the population for police protection were greatest, the new police force was least able to provide that protection. Lacking sufficient trained personnel, equipment and powers, the Volkspolizei could not really effectively police a profoundly shaken postwar society. However, after the initial emergency had passed, the Volkspolizei grew to become a substantial force, but one whose main purpose was to serve the new political order rather than meet the needs of the population. |
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