This is a detailed history of Heinrich Himmler's evil organization, whose 20,000 members were responsible for the internal security of the Reich. Based upon the Gestapo's own archives and eye-witness accounts, the author charts the development of the organization, its key figures, such as Reinhard Heydrich and Heinrich Muller, its brutal methods, and how the Gestapo dealt with internal security, including the various unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Hitler.