secret police

secret police, policing organization operating in secrecy for the political purposes of its government, often with terroristic procedures.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Other Modern Nations
• Nazi Germany
• Russia and the Soviet Union
• The Evolution of Secret Police Forces
• The Nature of a Secret Police
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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