Eichmann in Jerusalem

by

Hannah Arendt

The “Sicherheitsdienst” or S.D. was the “Security Service” within the S.S., run by Reinhardt Heydrich and specifically responsible for gathering intelligence on the Nazis’ enemies (including possible opponents within the Party). Eichmann joined the S.D. in 1934 and worked for it until it was combined with the Gestapo and Criminal Police into the R.S.H.A. in 1939.

S.D. Quotes in Eichmann in Jerusalem

The Eichmann in Jerusalem quotes below are all either spoken by S.D. or refer to S.D.. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Banality of Evil Theme Icon
).
Chapter 9 Quotes

Eichmann himself, after “consulting Poliakoff and Reitlinger,” produced seventeen multicolored charts, which contributed little to a better understanding of the intricate bureaucratic machinery of the Third Reich, although his general description—“everything was always in a state of continuous flux, a steady stream”—sounded plausible to the student of totalitarianism, who knows that the monolithic quality of this form of government is a myth.

Related Characters: Adolf Eichmann, Heinrich Himmler
Page Number: 152
Explanation and Analysis:
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S.D. Term Timeline in Eichmann in Jerusalem

The timeline below shows where the term S.D. appears in Eichmann in Jerusalem. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: The Accused
The Banality of Evil Theme Icon
...military service” and decided to apply for a job at the Reichsführer’s Security Service, or S.D. (full context)
Chapter 3: An Expert on the Jewish Question
The Banality of Evil Theme Icon
Justice and Legal Responsibility Theme Icon
When Eichmann joined the S.D. in 1934, Reinhardt Heydrich was its head, and its mission was to spy on other... (full context)
Chapter 5: The Second Solution: Concentration
The Banality of Evil Theme Icon
Conscience, Authority, and Totalitarianism Theme Icon
Justice and Legal Responsibility Theme Icon
Soon after the beginning of the war, Heinrich Himmler combined the S.S. Security Service (S.D.) with the state police (including the Gestapo) into the Head Office for Reich Security (R.S.H.A.),... (full context)
Chapter 15: Judgment, Appeal, and Execution
Justice and Legal Responsibility Theme Icon
...set of counts. The last three counts are for belonging to “criminal organizations”: the S.S., S.D., and Gestapo (but not the Nazi leadership in which the prosecution wanted to prove his... (full context)