Supreme SA Leader

Supreme SA Leader
Oberster SA-Führer
File:SA-Logo (no white background).svg
File:Hitler portrait crop.jpg Longest serving Adolf Hitler 2 September 1930 – 30 April 1945
Sturmabteilung
Abbreviation	SA
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

The supreme SA leader (German: Oberster SA-Führer), was the titular head of the Nazi Party's paramilitary group, the Sturmabteilung (SA).

History

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 Oberster SA-Führer for the duration of the group's existence. After 1931, those who held the rank of Stabschef (Chief of staff), such as Ernst Röhm, were accepted as the commanders of the SA.

Insignia

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.

Office holders

No.	Portrait	Oberster SA-Führer	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Ref.
1	Emil Maurice	Maurice, EmilEmil Maurice (1897–1972)	February 1920	August 1921	1 year, 6 months	NSDAP
2	Hans Ulrich Klintzsch	Klintzsch, Hans UlrichHans Ulrich Klintzsch (1898–1959)	October 1921	February 1923	1 year, 4 months	NSDAP
3	Hermann Göring	Göring, HermannHermann Göring (1893–1946)	1 March 1923	November 1923	9 months	NSDAP
None (November 1923 – 1 November 1926)
4	Franz Pfeffer von Salomon	Pfeffer von Salomon, FranzFranz Pfeffer von Salomon (1888–1968)	1 November 1926	29 August 1930	3 years, 301 days	NSDAP
5	Adolf Hitler	Hitler, AdolfAdolf Hitler (1889–1945)	2 September 1930	30 April 1945 †	14 years, 240 days	NSDAP

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:80 left:20 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

Colors =

 id:sa  value:rgb(0.59,0.29,0)
 id:vac value:gray(0.3)

BarData =

 barset:PM

PlotData =

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

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

</timeline>

See also

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