Reinhard Heydrich Character Analysis in Ordinary Men

The commander of the special Security Police branch of the German police, Reinhard Heydrich has command of the infamous Gestapo and the Criminal Police (which dealt largely with nonpolitical crimes). Heydrich plays an active role in a number of Hitler and Himmler’s schemes to eliminate Jews from Europe, starting with Germany, including by organizing the deportations of Jews from Germany to Eastern Europe starting in 1941. Heydrich is a vital and important part of Hitler’s cabinet, which also means that he is as enthusiastic and dedicated to the Final Solution as Himmler himself. Heydrich, then, is a virulent anti-Semite, cruel and callous towards the suffering of the Jews, and he had a real enthusiasm for the idea that Germans were a “master race” that deserved to rule Europe if not the world. In fact, Heydrich was so integral to the implementation of the Final Solution during World War II that the murderous campaign against the Jews in Poland is named after him (Operation Reinhard) following his death in Czechoslovakia.

Reinhard Heydrich Character Timeline in Ordinary Men

The timeline below shows where the character Reinhard Heydrich appears in Ordinary Men. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Nationalism, War, and Ethnic Cleansing Theme Icon

...police in 1936, he establishes two new police branches: the Security Police (led by Reinhard Heydrich, which includes the Criminal Police for nonpolitical crimes and the Gestapo for political crimes) and... (full context)

...involvement in the mass murders of Jews in Russia begins to wind down, Hitler and Heydrich give Daluege a new assignment: the Order Police must guard deportation trains from Germany into... (full context)

The mass murder campaign against Jews in Poland is dubbed Operation Reinhard to commemorate Reinhard Heydrich who died in Czechoslovakia. Globocnik sets up a special staff to help coordinate the mass... (full context)