Supreme SA Leader
The Supreme SA Leader (German: Oberster SA-Führer), was the titular head of the Nazi Party's paramilitary group, the Sturmabteilung (SA).
| Supreme SA Leader | |
|---|---|
| Oberster SA-Führer | |
| Sturmabteilung | |
| Member of | Oberste SA-Führung |
| Reports to | Adolf Hitler |
| Appointer | Adolf Hitler |
| Term length | Not fixed |
| Formation | February 1920 |
| First holder | Emil Maurice |
| Final holder | Adolf Hitler |
| Abolished | 30 April 1945 |
| Deputy | Stabschef |
History edit
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To centralise the loyalty of the SA, Hitler personally assumed command of the entire organisation in 1930 and remained Oberster SA-Führer for the duration of the group's existence. After 1931, those who held the rank of Stabschef, such as Ernst Röhm, were accepted as the commanders of the SA.[1]
Insignia edit
The Oberster SA-Führer had no particular uniform insignia and was a paramilitary title that could be denoted in a variety of ways. Hermann Göring, for instance, created an elaborate uniform, with swastika armband accompanied with white service stripes. In contrast, Maurice wore simply a brown Nazi storm trooper shirt with no insignia, as did Hitler when he held the title of Oberster SA-Führer.[citation needed]
List of officeholders edit
| No. | Portrait | Oberster SA-Führer | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emil Maurice (1897–1972) | February 1920 | August 1921 | 1 year, 6 months | NSDAP | [2] | ||
| 2 | Hans Ulrich Klintzsch (1898–1959) | October 1921 | February 1923 | 1 year, 4 months | NSDAP | [2] | ||
| 3 | Hermann Göring (1893–1946) | February 1923 | November 1923 | 9 months | NSDAP | [2] | ||
| None (November 1923 – 1 November 1926)[a] | ||||||||
| 4 | Franz Pfeffer von Salomon (1888–1968) | 1 November 1926 | 29 August 1930[b] | 3 years, 9 months | NSDAP | [4] | ||
| 5 | Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) | 2 September 1930 | 30 April 1945 † | 14 years, 7 months | NSDAP | [4] | ||
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ The NSDAP and its organs and instruments (including the Völkischer Beobachter and the SA) were banned in Bavaria (and other parts of Germany) following Hitler's abortive attempt to overthrow the Weimar Republic in the Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923. The Bavarian ban was lifted in February 1925 after Hitler pledged to adhere to legal and constitutional means in his quest for political power. See Verbotzeit. Though charged with the leadership of the SA in August 1926, Pfeffer von Salomon was not formally appointed Oberster SA-Führer until 1 November 1926.[3]
- ^ Pfeffer von Salomon submitted a letter of resignation on 12 August 1930, effective 29 August. Hitler accepted the resignation and named himself as Oberste SA-Führer effective 2 September.[4]
References edit
- ^ McNab 2009, pp. 14, 15.
- ^ a b c McNab 2009, p. 14.
- ^ Miller & Schulz 2017, p. 353.
- ^ a b c Höffkes 1986, p. 249.
Bibliography edit
- Höffkes, Karl (1986). Hitlers Politische Generale. Die Gauleiter des Dritten Reiches: ein biographisches Nachschlagewerk. Tübingen: Grabert-Verlag. ISBN 3-87847-163-7.
- McNab, Chris (2009). The Third Reich. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-51-8.
- Miller, Michael D.; Schulz, Andreas (2017). Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925-1945. Vol. II (Georg Joel - Dr. Bernhard Rust). R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-1-932970-32-6.