Supreme SA Leader
This article lists the individuals who have been identified as senior officers of the Sturmabteilung (SA), a paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), between the years of 1920 and 1945.
The supreme commander of the entire SA was Oberster SA-Führer, literally "Supreme SA Leader", a titular position, while Stabschef, literally "Chief of Staff", oversaw the day-to-day operations of the group.
Oberster SA-Führer
| No. | Portrait | Oberster SA-Führer | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emil Maurice (1897–1972) | 1920 | 1921 | 0–1 years | NSDAP | [1] | |
| 2 | Hans Ulrich Klintzsch (1898–1959) | 1921 | February 1923 | 1–2 years | NSDAP | [1] | |
| 3 | Hermann Göring (1893–1946) | February 1923 | November 1923 | 0 years | NSDAP | [1] | |
| 4 | Franz Pfeffer von Salomon (1888–1968) | 14 February 1926 | August 1930 | 4 years | NSDAP | [1] | |
| 5 | Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) | August 1930 | 30 April 1945[a] † | 14 years | NSDAP | [1] |
To centralize the loyalty of the SA, Hitler personally assumed command of the entire organization 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.[2] The Oberster SA-Führer had no particular uniform insignia and was a paramilitary title that could be denoted in a variety of ways. Göring, for instance, created an elaborate uniform, with swastika armband accompanied with white service stripes. In contrast, Maurice wore simply a brown Nazi stormtrooper shirt with no insignia, as did Hitler when he held the title of Oberster SA-Führer.
Stabschef
After 1931, Stabschef was considered the actual leader of the SA.
| No. | Portrait | Stabschef | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otto Wagener (1888–1971) | October 1929 | 31 December 1930 | 1 year, 2 months | NSDAP | [2] | |
| 2 | Ernst Röhm (1887–1934) | 5 January 1931 | 1 July 1934[b] † | 3 years, 5 months | NSDAP | [3] | |
| 3 | Viktor Lutze (1890–1943) | 1 July 1934 | 2 May 1943[c] † | 8 years, 10 months | NSDAP | [4] | |
| – | Max Jüttner (1888–1963) Acting | 2 May 1943 | August 1943 | 2 months | NSDAP | [5] | |
| 4 | Wilhelm Schepmann (1894–1970) | August 1943 | 5 May 1945 | 1 year, 9 months | NSDAP | [1] |
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![Max Jüttner [de]](/wiki/File:Juettner.jpg)
Initial insignia for Stabschef consisted of an oak leaf patch worn on the collar of the stormtrooper uniform. Photographic evidence shows Röhm wearing such an insignia in his early days as Stabschef. As Röhm's authority increased, so did his insignia. Photographs from mid-1931 show Röhm wearing a two- and then a three-leaf insignia design. After 1933, the insignia for Stabschef consisted of a "crossed lances" pattern wreathed by a half oak leaf circle. Personally designed by Röhm, it was based on the insignia of a Bolivian general (Röhm served as a German military advisor to Bolivia in the late 1920s).
After Röhm was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934, his successor Lutze changed the insignia to a wreathed oak leaf pattern identical to the insignia of Reichsführer-SS. This remained as the insignia until the end of the war, and the Sturmabteilung, in 1945.
See also
- Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party
- Uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung
- Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
- List of SS personnel
Notes
- ^ Committed suicide.
- ^ Executed during the Night of the Long Knives.
- ^ Died in a car accident.
References
- ^ a b c d e f McNab 2009, p. 14.
- ^ a b McNab 2009, pp. 14, 15.
- ^ McNab 2009, pp. 16, 18, 19.
- ^ Hamilton 1984, p. 312.
- ^ Orlow, Dietrich (2010-06-23). The Nazi Party 1919-1945: A Complete History. ISBN 9780982491195.
Bibliography
- McNab, Chris (2009). The Third Reich. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-51-8.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Zentner, Christian; Bedürftig, Friedemann (1997) [1991]. The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-3068079-3-0.
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