Supreme SA Leader

The Sturmabteilung (SA) was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for Nazi rallies and assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, fighting against the paramilitary units of the opposing parties, especially the Roter Frontkämpferbund of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), and intimidating Romani, trade unionists, and especially Jews. To centralise the loyalty of the SA, Hitler personally assumed command of the entire organisation in 1930 and remained {{lang|de|Oberster SA-Führer}} for the duration of the group's existence. After 1931, those who held the rank of {{lang|de|Stabschef}} (Chief of staff), such as Ernst Röhm, were accepted as the commanders of the SA.{{sfn|McNab|2009|pp=14, 15}}

The {{lang|de|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 {{lang|de|Oberster SA-Führer}}.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Oberster SA-Führer

| showtermlenght = y

| showelection = n

| showcabinet = n

| party_col = 1

| showref = y

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order2 = {{white|1}}

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1980-073-19A, Emil Maurice.jpg

| military_rank =

| officeholder = Emil Maurice

| officeholder_sort = Maurice, Emil

| born_year = 1897

| died_year = 1972

| term_start = February 1920

| term_end = August 1921

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1920|02|1|1921|08|1}}

| alt_party = Nazi Party

| ref = {{sfn|McNab|2009|p=14}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order2 = {{white|2}}

| image =

| military_rank =

| officeholder = Hans Ulrich Klintzsch

| officeholder_sort = Klintzsch, Hans Ulrich

| born_year = 1898

| died_year = 1959

| term_start = October 1921

| term_end = February 1923

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1921|10|1|1923|02|1}}

| alt_party = Nazi Party

| ref = {{sfn|McNab|2009|p=14}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order2 = {{white|3}}

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13805, Hermann Göring.jpg

| military_rank =

| officeholder = Hermann Göring

| officeholder_sort = Göring, Hermann

| born_year = 1893

| died_year = 1946

| term_start = 1 March 1923

| term_end = November 1923

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1923|02|1|1923|11|1}}

| alt_party = Nazi Party

| ref = {{sfn|Miller|Schulz|2015|pp=29, 41}}

}}

|-style="text-align:center;"

| colspan=9| None
(November 1923 – 1 November 1926){{efn|The NSDAP and its organs and instruments (including the {{lang|de|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 {{lang|de|Verbotzeit.|italic=unset}} 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.{{sfn|Miller|Schulz|2017|p=353}}}}

|-

{{Officeholder table

| order2 = {{white|4}}

| image = Reichsparteitag NSDAP Parade Nürnberg 1929 Franz Pfeffer von Salomon, Nazi Party rally Robert Sennecke Int.Illustrations-Verlag Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe 3 1 0 17 12269 33704 Marked as Public domain (cropped).jpg

| military_rank =

| officeholder = Franz Pfeffer von Salomon

| officeholder_sort = Pfeffer von Salomon, Franz

| born_year = 1888

| died_year = 1968

| term_start = 1 November 1926

| term_end = 29 August 1930{{efn|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.{{sfn|Höffkes|1986|p=249}}}}

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1926|11|01|1930|08|29}}

| alt_party = Nazi Party

| ref = {{sfn|Höffkes|1986|p=249}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order2 = {{white|5}}

| image = Hitler portrait crop.jpg

| military_rank =

| officeholder = Adolf Hitler

| officeholder_sort = Hitler, Adolf

| born_year = 1889

| died_year = 1945

| died = y

| term_start = 2 September 1930

| term_end = 30 April 1945

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1930|09|02|1945|04|30}}

| alt_party = Nazi Party

| ref = {{sfn|Höffkes|1986|p=249}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

{{#tag:timeline|

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AlignBars = late

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1920 till:01/05/1945

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1920

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1920

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id:vac value:gray(0.3)

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width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

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from: 01/02/1920 till: 01/08/1921 color:sa text:"Maurice" fontsize:10

from: 01/10/1921 till: 01/02/1923 color:sa text:"Klintzsch" fontsize:10

from: 01/03/1923 till: 01/11/1923 color:sa text:"Göring" fontsize:10

from: 01/11/1923 till: 01/11/1926 color:vac text:"Vacant" fontsize:10

from: 01/11/1926 till: 29/08/1930 color:sa text:"Pfeffer von Salomon" fontsize:10

from: 02/09/1930 till: 30/04/1945 color:sa text:"Hitler" fontsize:10

}}

• List of SS personnel
• Stabschef
• Uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book| first=Karl |last=Höffkes |title= Hitlers Politische Generale. Die Gauleiter des Dritten Reiches: ein biographisches Nachschlagewerk |publisher=Grabert-Verlag |location=Tübingen |year= 1986 |isbn=3-87847-163-7}}
• {{cite book |last1=McNab |first1=Chris |title=The Third Reich |publisher=Amber Books Ltd |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-906626-51-8 }}
• {{cite book |last1= Miller |first1= Michael D. |last2= Schulz |first2= Andreas |title= Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925-1945 |volume=II (Georg Joel - Dr. Bernhard Rust) |publisher= R. James Bender Publishing |year= 2017 |isbn=978-1-932970-32-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Michael D. |last2=Schulz |first2=Andreas |title=Leaders of the Storm Troops |volume=1 |publisher=Helion & Company |location=Solihull, England |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-909-98287-1}}

{{refend}}

{{SA commanders}}

{{Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks}}

Category:Nazi paramilitary ranks

Category:Sturmabteilung

{{Nazi-stub}}