Editing Reich Security Main Office (section)

===Structure===
The organization at its simplest was divided into seven offices (''Ämter''):{{sfn|Buchheim|1968|pp=172–187}}{{sfn|Weale|2012|pp=140–144}}

* '''Amt I''', "Administration and Legal", originally headed by SS-''[[Gruppenführer]]'' Dr. [[Werner Best]].{{sfn|Höhne|2001|p=256}} In 1940, he was succeeded by SS-''[[Brigadeführer]]'' [[Bruno Streckenbach]]. In April 1944, [[Erich Ehrlinger]] took over as department chief.
* '''Amt II''', "Ideological Investigation", headed by SS-''Brigadeführer'' Professor [[Franz Six]].{{sfn|Höhne|2001|p=256}}
* '''Amt III''', "Spheres of German Life" or the ''[[Sicherheitsdienst#Inland-SD|Inland-SD]]'', headed by SS-''Gruppenführer'' [[Otto Ohlendorf]], was the SS information gathering service for inside Germany.{{sfn|Höhne|2001|p=256}} It also dealt with [[Volksdeutsche|ethnic Germans]] outside of Germany's prewar borders, and matters of [[Culture of German-speaking Europe|culture]].
* '''Amt IV''', "Suppression of Opposition". This was the ''Geheime Staatspolizei'', better known by the sobriquet [[Gestapo]].{{sfn|Weale|2012|p=85}} It was headed by SS-''Gruppenführer'' [[Heinrich Müller (Gestapo)|Heinrich Müller]].{{sfn|Höhne|2001|pp=256–257}} SS-''[[Obersturmbannführer]]'' [[Adolf Eichmann]], one of the main architects of [[the Holocaust]], was head of the Amt IV sub-department called ''[[Reich Security Head Office Referat IV B4|Referat IV B4]]''.{{sfn|USHMM, ''Adolf Eichmann: Key Dates''}}
* '''Amt V''', "Suppression of Crime" ''[[Kriminalpolizei#Nazi Germany|Kriminalpolizei]]'' (Kripo), originally led by SS-''Gruppenführer'' [[Arthur Nebe]]{{sfn|Höhne|2001|p=257}} and later by SS-''Oberführer'' [[Friedrich Panzinger]].{{sfn|Friedlander|1997|p=55}} This was the Criminal Police, which dealt with serious non-political crimes, such as rape, murder, and arson. Amt V was also known as the ''[[Reichskriminalpolizeiamt]]'' (Reich Criminal Police Department or RKPA).
* '''Amt VI''', "Foreign Intelligence Service" or ''[[Sicherheitsdienst#Ausland-SD|Ausland-SD]]'', originally led by SS-''Brigadeführer'' [[Heinz Jost]]{{sfn|Höhne|2001|p=257}} and later by SS-''Brigadeführer'' [[Walter Schellenberg]].
* '''Amt VII''', "Ideological Research and Evaluation"  was a reconstitution of '''Amt II''' overseen by SS-''Brigadeführer'' Professor Dr. [[Franz Six]].{{sfn|Buchheim|1968|p=174}} Later it was headed by SS-''Obersturmbannführer'' [[Paul Dittel]]. It was responsible for the creation of [[antisemitism|anti-semitic]], [[Anti-masonry|anti-masonic]] propaganda, the sounding of public opinion, and monitoring of Nazi indoctrination by the public.