How did the SS maintain Order within the Nazi Concentration Camps during the Holocaust?

The SS Maintained order over people in the Concentration Camps in Many ways. They did this by: CAMP RULES The SS had all of the advantages - they were fit. Well fed and had guard dogs and weapons.

Yet they still worried about revolts in the camps. The first thing they did that by making it hard for the prisoners to socialize with each other. The Camp rules gave Death Penalties to anyone who discussed politics, had meetings, formed groups, loitered with others, persuading others to commit crimes, encouraged mutiny or insurrection.

So prisons had to make meetings with each other accidental and keep conversations as short as possible. However, The SS knew it would still be possible, If difficult and dangerous, for prisoners to meet and make secrete plans. Prisoner against prisoner The SS then made it difficult for prisoners to trust each other.

They put prisoners in charge of other prisoners and encouraged different kinds of prisoners to hate each other. The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolph Hoess said "We encouraged various groups to see each other as enemies, We did everything we could to encourage not only political differences but also other antagonisms between various groups of prisoners. This made it much less likely that they would all join together against us".

Eyes Everywhere Prisoners were encouraged to tell the SS guards of any plots they overheard. In the same way as people outside the camps were encourage to inform on Jews or any undesirables among their neighbors. In the camps, being an informer brought real benefits.

Camps informers were given more food or easier jobs, just for watching and Listening. They got even better rewards if they uncover a plot. So this made it hard prisoners to trust each other.

Of course, it was also dangerous to be an informer because it was a lot easier for prisoners to kill an informer in their barracks or on their work gang than it was for them to kill a Kapo or an SS guard. So informers must rely on the SS for protection. However, the SS could easily place an Informer for an new one.

Shifting people Other things stopped people from forming settled groups such as, the SS deliberately changed working groups around and there was less need to move people around the barracks. There were so many people crammed into each barrack that there was no privacy to plot against the SS. The camp population changed from other factors, too people died in the camps all the time, either killed by the SS or from diseases, starvation or exhaustion.

Punishment System The concentration camp rules set out a clear system of punishment. They were first used at Dachau, then applied in all camps. Here are some of them; Punishments allowed at anytime are: beatings, drilling, no mail, food, tying to stakes, reprimands and warnings.

3 Days solitary confinement for anyone who; -Does not get up at once, or doesn't keep his bed or room in proper order -Takes a second helping of food without permission, or allows the cook to give him an second helping. 5 Days solitary confinement for anyone who; -Sit or Lies on his bed during the day without permissions 8 Days solitary confinement (and a whipping of 25 strokes before and after) for anyone who; -Makes ironic remarks about a SS Officer -Disrespects or Disobey the SS Guard -Giving authority by the SS, abuses this by favoring, making false reports on or tyrannizing other prisoners. The following will be hanged: Anyone, who at any point: -Discusses Politics, Forming a political group -loiters with others -Collect true and false information about the concentration camp or takes information and buries it or passing it along or discusses it after it is released or it gets out to others.

-Attempting to escape or anyone who gets caught. -Commits crimes or persuade others to -Attacks an SS Guard -Refuses to Obey SS Officers -Encourages mutiny -Leaves a marching column or place of Work -Shouts -Agitate others -Making speeches on march or at work Bending the rules The examples of the system of Punishment of the camps were made fully clear, but in reality anything could become an punishment including breathing whiles being spoken to. Punishments could be handled out any time especially including the Teenager SS Officers.

These rules varied from SS Guard to SS Guard. So, prisoners were supposed to be reported for "ROLL CALL" and properly dressed. Some SS might punish those appearing without a cap with a beating.

Others would shoot the improperly dressed prisoners. An standard punishment was 25 lashes with an whip, belt or stick. Also many SS men made the count the 25 lashes in German and If they lost count, they would have to redo the count.

Many of the Prisoners didn't speak German before they were sent to the camps. Punished for the "crimes" of others When an prisoner escaped, the SS punished the remaining prisoners. In Auschwitz I in 1940, a prison was missing at the Afternoon roll call.

A punishment roll call was ordered. The prisoners stood at attention from Noon in till 9PM without any worth clothing including shoes. The prisoner was found dead trying to hide from the SS in an shelter of sleet.

After the roll call, 120 prisoners dropped dead, caught sickness and fallen unconscious. Once it was confirmed that an prisoner had escaped, the SS often executed some of the remaining prisoners. They did this on significant days.

For example, Polish Catholics were executed on important christian festivals EG. Christmas and Easter or on Polish national holidays .

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.