It is very important to watch surveillance over the people in autocratic or undemocratic governments. Currently, surveillance has increased in many countries of the world. The agencies that perform these activities are given the name of the secret police or the genre.
Figure : Citizens protesting and entering the Stasi building in Berlin; the sign accuses the Stasi and SED of being Nazi-like dictators. 1990. Source : Wikipedia
Members of these special intelligence forces sometimes became powerful because of government support that they became important in the history of the country. If the secret police were getting Unconditional power, they became the other names of the terrorists to the people of the country. Let's talk about some of the most notorious intelligence agencies abolished today.
Stasi, East Germany
Stasi was formed in the year 1949 when the formation of Soviet-backed East Germany was formed. Stasi is a short version of the German Ministry for State Security. At the beginning this organization was very small. It was mainly the western spy and the Nazis to monitor them. However, after the arrival of Erich Mielke in 1957, all changed. In 1989, one lakh people were working at Stasi. Outside, irregular agents and informants were about 2 million. More than one-third of the total population was under Stasi's surveillance. Stasi agents worked as advisers in many Asian and African countries including Iraq.
Figure : Stasi boss Mielke in Berin. Source : Flickr
The Western press was told by Mielke 'Master of Fear'. Stasi became one of the most skilled and notorious intelligence agencies in the world under the training of Mielke who got his training from the from the Soviets. During that time, many people from East Germany escaped to West Germany.
Stasi officials used to kidnap these fleeing people and return them. Stasi used to employ a lot of agents in general citizens to monitor the activities of East German nationals. A depressing panic was created in society. Nobody could have believed in anyone. As a result, there could not have been a great disservice to the government. Many people were shot dead by the Stasi agents while fleeing the Berlin Wall.
Figure : Bautzen Prison Source : Wikipedia
In 1989, when Mielke was given a lecture in the Parliament, he was Badly humiliated. After this, the video footage was broadcasted. Everyone understands that Stasi will not survive. Within a few months, Stasi was abolished in 1990. The famous film 'The Lives of Others' was made of a Stasi official. [End of Part -01]