There was a 3-hour documentary on the US cable TV History Channel last night (4/5) about the Gestapo, and how, in the beginning, some their leaders (especially Heinrich Muller) were inspired by Stalin's NKVD. Curiously, when they interviewed survivors of the round-up of political opponents (some still committed Communists), I found it a little difficult to muster much sympathy, because I knew they'd have done precisely the same thing had they (the Communists) come to power.
And when German Communists eventually attained power in the East during the post-war years, they most certainly did do the same thing. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Stasi imprisoned and executed more political prisoners than did the Gestapo (of course, they had a lot more time to do it: 45 years vs 12 or 15 or so).
There was a 3-hour documentary on the US cable TV History Channel last night (4/5) about the Gestapo, and how, in the beginning, some their leaders (especially Heinrich Muller) were inspired by Stalin's NKVD. Curiously, when they interviewed survivors of the round-up of political opponents (some still committed Communists), I found it a little difficult to muster much sympathy, because I knew they'd have done precisely the same thing had they (the Communists) come to power.
And when German Communists eventually attained power in the East during the post-war years, they most certainly did do the same thing. I have no doubt whatsoever that the Stasi imprisoned and executed more political prisoners than did the Gestapo (of course, they had a lot more time to do it: 45 years vs 12 or 15 or so).