th under ▁storm " ▁and ▁Heinrich ▁Him ml er ▁was ▁a ▁senior ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁whose ▁areas ▁of ▁responsibility ▁included ▁polic ing ▁and ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁other ▁matters ▁admin ister ed ▁in ▁his ▁capacity ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior . ▁ ▁Pl anning ▁The ▁mass ▁arr ests ▁of ▁A ktion ▁G itter ▁were ▁neither ▁un pre ced ented ▁nor ▁a ▁sp ont aneous ▁government ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁assass ination ▁attempt ▁of ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁but ▁the ▁working ▁through ▁of ▁long - standing ▁policies . ▁▁ ▁Le ading ▁polit icians ▁from ▁the ▁We imar ▁years ▁had ▁been ▁identified ▁on ▁a ▁so - called ▁government ▁" A - list " ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 3 5 / 3 6 , ▁divided ▁into ▁sub - categories ▁A - 1 , ▁A - 2 ▁and ▁A - 3 . ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁the ▁Gest ap o ▁had ▁arrested ▁between ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁whose ▁names ▁appeared ▁on ▁List ▁A - 1 . ▁▁ ▁These ▁were ▁identified ▁as ▁" en em ies ▁of ▁the ▁state " ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁" prote ct ive ▁cust ody ", ▁in ▁most ▁cases ▁in ▁the ▁Buch en wald ▁concentration ▁camp . ▁▁ ▁However , ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁had ▁been ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁Chan cell or ▁Hitler ▁gave ▁notice ▁in