Inspekteur (NSDAP)
Inspekteur was an early Nazi political rank created in 1930 due to the Nazi Party expanding across Germany in hopes of securing a major election victory. The political position of Inspekteur was the first concentrated effort to organize the Nazi Party on a national basis, where as before the Nazis had mainly operated from Munich, in Bavaria, with various splinter Nazi groups in other parts of Germany.
The rank of Inspekteur was divided into two levels: Landesinspekteur and Reichsinspekteur. The Landes level was concentrated on Nazi organization within specific German states, while the Reich level coordinated Nazi activities across the entire country. The position of Inspekteur was denoted on Nazi Party brown shirts by either one of two collar bars worn on a dark red collar patch. The shoulder boards were also paired up with a one or two knotted gold shoulder cord.
A special title also existed for the senior most Reichsinspekteur, this being Reichsorganisationsleiter (National Organizational Leader). There was no special insignia for this supreme political position, as it was merely a command title for the head Reich Inspector. Robert Ley was one such holder of this title.
After the Nazis came to power in 1933, the political rank of Inspekteur became obsolete as the position had mainly served the purpose of election coordination. The duties of the Landesinspekteur were absorbed into the position of Gauleiter and the rank of Reichsinspekteur was renamed as Reichsleiter.
Sources
- Clark, J. (2007). Uniforms of the NSDAP. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing