Gestapo

/ɡɛˈstɑːpoʊ/ noun

The official secret police force of Nazi Germany, known for using terror and torture against the German population and conquered territories.

German acronym from 'Geheime Staatspolizei' (Secret State Police). The abbreviation was deliberately obscured to hide the organization's true nature, but the acronym became synonymous with state terror and secret police brutality.

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