Gossudarstvennoye politicheskoye upravleniye/ Obyedinennoye GPU
Russian (United) Civil Politcal Service. Came to life after the reorganization of Cheka in 1922. Their executive powers were even more legalized but the whole organization was still under F.E.Dzerzhinski. The GPU was commanded in each of the union republics. In 1923 these partial headquarters were united under the OGPU. To ensure enough power and no resistance the organization was heavily connected with the jurisdiction.After the begin of the fight between Stalin and Trocky, Dzerzhinsky began to support Stalin as good as he could. His organization penetrated into all possible areas. To secure the old habits, first all Jewish people were dismissed (or rather deleted) from inside the OGPU. The organization was able to evaluate loyal and true employees, but it punished hard for any treason. Not only the guilty people but also their families.
An foreign intelligence department (INO) was also a part of the GPU. It was Trocki's work, but Dzerzhinsky was able to take it over soon and to infiltrate foreign departments by his agents (covered as emigrants). For this purpose many export firms and organizations were founded or misused (even the international Red Cross).
The most known connections were firms Amtrog (in USA, founded by Hammer and his son), Wostwag (West Germany) and Acros (UK). Acros had caused suspicions in the MI-5 and was discovered and destroyed.
The OGPU was still active inland. Their next target became the kulaks. After Dzerzhinsky's dead another man seized the position V.Menzhinskiy. But he was not able to command such power and the intelligence service. Although he could pursue the "cultivation of Siberia" - by the hands of prisoners in gulags. Reorganizations continued because Stalin didn't like Menzhinsky's incompetence. Like Dzerzhinsky, he died mysteriously of heart attack. A even more cruel man followed the lead - G.Yagod. Later, the OGPU was reformed into the NKVD.
