World War II
Upon the outbreak of World War II, in September 1939, Kappler was serving as an SS-Hauptsturmführer (captain) out of the Stuttgart Gestapo main office. From 1939 to 1940, he was briefly deployed to Poland and participated in various Einsatzgruppen actions before serving a further tour as a uniformed Gestapo officer in occupied Belgium where he acted to suppress resistance. In 1941, after the implementation of "Final Solution" directives resulting from the Wannsee Conference, Kappler began to coordinate Jewish round-ups and deportations to death camps in eastern Europe.
In mid 1941, now an SS-Major, Kappler was selected as a liaison officer to the government of Benito Mussolini as well as a security advisor to the Fascist police. His appointment to Italy was the result of his security police experience, connections with the SS leadership (Reinhard Heydrich, in particular), as well as a fluency in the Italian language.
Following the armistice between Italy and the Allied Forces on September 8, 1943, the German military occupied Rome and Kappler was ordered to serve as Chief of the Security Police and Security Service (Oberbefehlshaber des Sicherheitspolizei und SD) for all SS and police units deployed in Rome. He was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) on September 12 and quickly assumed his new duties operating out of the Italian capital.
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